The Covid-19 pandemic has restricted the freedom of travel on the European continent to an unprecedented degree. This included the reintroduction of border controls which were believed to be a thing of the past since the introduction of the Schengen Area. This policy paper explores how the uncoordinated way in which decisions on such restrictions are taken threatens the freedom of movement within the EU even beyond the pandemic. It then suggests how the rules of the Schengen Area can be reformed to ensure its proper functioning in the future.
Daniel Schade wrote this Policy Paper as a guest author. He is a visiting assistant professor in the Government Department at Cornell University and visiting fellow at Das Progressive Zentrum. His research focuses on the European Union and its external relations regime.