The borders of the Schengen area and the borders of the European Union - legal conditions

Anna Szachoń-Pszenny

Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2353-3745

Abstract

Legal conditions for the definition of internal and external borders in the European Union and Schengen area are regulated by the provisions of the Schengen Border Code, which is a specific constitution of the Schengen area, being also an integral part of the European Union law. The explanation of the legal basis of the internal and external borders of the Schengen and EU zones requires reaching to their legal etymology, starting from their formation up to their current status in a short reference to the migration crisis. The aim of the article is also to define the boundaries of the „area without borders”, especially in the context of the diverse situation at internal and external borders. The spread  of the European Union and the Schengen zone will be determined by means of legal indicators, the most important of which is the free movement of persons and the Area of freedom, security and justice. Full explanation of legal conditions of the borders involves referring to their crossing rules. To this end, it is necessary to distinguish the subjective and objective aspect of crossing internal and external borders based on EU law acts, in particular the amended in 2016 and 2017 provisions of the Schengen Border Code, which is a specific constitution of the Schengen area, which is also an integral part of European Union law. It should be argued that, in the legal dimension, the borders of the EU and the Schengen area are being unified, despite differences in the territorial dimension. Confirmation, already at the beginning, can be found in the revised SBC regulations, according to which a common policy of crossing external borders is a means of creating an area where people can move freely on the basis of treaty provisions. The provisions of the EU Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders emphasize that joint measures on crossing internal borders by persons and controls at external borders should reflect the Schengen acquis incorporated into the legal and institutional framework of the EU.

Keywords:

Schengen area, European Union, internal borders, external borders, acquis Schengen, area without borders