Border closures due to virus panic shakes Schengen

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"The most effective response is a coordinated one. General travel bans are not the best way to contain the virus. All measures must be proportional." When this Friday at noon the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, launched this message, she did not intend to give advice, reflection or a technical assessment, but to formalize an almost desperate request. The interior ministers were facing each other in Brussels and on the agenda, black clouds. In moments of panic the temptation to withdraw remains very powerful. It was seen in 2015 and is being seen again now. Throughout the day, in a constant trickle, the Czech Republic , Slovakia , Denmark and Poland notified the Commission that, taking advantage of the springs provided by Schengen, the free movement area, they were going to close the borders. And they are probably not the last.

The message is that it will be temporarily, for a few weeks, to stop the expansion of the coronavirus, but the blockades at the borders are like financial corrals: it is easy to put them on but very difficult to lift. Some of the posts that were raised during the political crisis due to the arrival of refugees there still remain, being periodically renewed.

The decision of the four governments is unilateral and practically identical in terms. The flow of people is interrupted, but not of goods . There will be no flights or trains leaving the national territory. And in several cases, nationals returning from abroad will have to undergo two weeks of quarantine . In the Czech case, for example, nationals and those resident foreigners will not be able to leave either.

Poland has set a provisional deadline of 10 days starting at midnight on Sunday. Czech Republic, undefined. Denmark, until the Easter holidays. In addition, Austria has closed the border crossing with Italy. And Hungary, with Austria and Slovenia itself.

The answer has not reached the European level. There is no coordination or trust. France , as reported by the Elysée, wanted to discuss a closure or at least reinforcements at the Schengen level, opening the possibility for countries where the sources of contagion are greatest to be closed. Germany , with doubts, is not very clear. Especially after several of his ministers lashed out very hard these days against Donald Trump for banning the arrival of Europeans for a month.

By what authority can the EU complain and reprimand Americans if an increasing number of its own members are preventing access to community partners?

The free movement area, known as the Schengen Area, is one of the greatest successes in the history of the EU . In practice it involves the elimination of internal borders between 26 countries. There is no longer any passport or merchandise control. When entering the EU through one of its signatories, there are no more controls required to move the others.

There are 26 Schengen member countries . Not all of the EU are part (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania are on the sidelines for now) and there are others, such as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, which are not Member States but are part. Norway has also decided to put controls in place, except for its Scandinavian neighbors.

How is free movement suspended?

The Schengen Borders Code does in effect allow a country to suspend such enforcement, but only "temporarily" and in the "case of a serious threat" or when there are "internal security reasons". The reintroduction of internal border controls "must be an exception and respect the principle of proportionality" , according to current legislation. "The object and duration of this temporary measure must be restricted to the minimum necessary to respond to the threat in question", as a "measure of last resort", says the European Commission. A pandemic clearly falls under the umbrella.

The prerogative to do so is from a Member State. It is up to governments to analyze the situation, assess the threat or emergency, with their own criteria. Capitals must notify the Commission, and the other members of the Council, "at least four weeks before" the entry into force of the measure, unless it is really an emergency. Brussels can express its opinion on the need to reintroduce controls or not or if it is "proportional", as Von der Leyen has done today, but it does not have a veto.

Suspending Schengen is, at the same time, very serious and somewhat routine. Governments do this constantly, for example before sporting or cultural events and with high-level political meetings, but only for a few days. In fact, articles 25 and 26 of the Code stipulate that for such events the maximum time is 30 days (extendable to a maximum of half a year). It does not mean that all borders are closed abruptly and 100% of travelers are inspected, but that in some, and for different reasons, passport and registration controls can be carried out.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

• European Comission
• Norway
• Poland
• Denmark
• Czech Republic
• Austria
• Ireland
• Italy
• Romania
• Ursula von der Leyen
• Germany
• Bulgaria
• Cyprus
• Croatia
• Donald trump
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• France
• Hungary
• Refugees
• immigration

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