FEDERALIST WORKSHOP
23 February 2016 | Brussels

SAVING SCHENGEN: BUILDING A EUROPEAN BORDER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
18:30 Tuesday 23 February 2016, European Parliament Information Office in Belgium, Rue de Trèves/Triererstraat 3 (Place du Luxembourg) 1050 Brussels

Federalist workshops aim to create a conversation between policy experts and federalist-minded professionals from the world of EU politics, business and civil society. This edition will take an in-depth look at the options for saving the Schengen arrangements enabling free movement across Europe.

In the face of an unprecedented number of people arriving as refugees and migrants, and following the tragic event in Paris, Member States are taking unilateral actions and re-instating border controls. It’s becoming more and more clear that an area of free movement without border controls is only sustainable if the common European border is managed together and if internal security becomes a common concern. The status quo is not an option. Europe faces a choice: surrender Schengen or develop the tools necessary to defend it.

The collapse of Schengen would fail to make Europe safer and send a negative message about Europe’s commitment to a common future. To secure our freedom of movement without border controls, Schengen needs to be upgraded and complemented.

This workshop invites policy makers to join two expert speakers to consider the options for upgrading Schengen, within and beyond the proposals currently put forward by the European Commission.

A report of this event is now available to download.