Fourth State of Schengen report on 40 years of profound benefits for all EU citizens

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

Today, the Commission publishes its fourth State of Schengen report, reviewing developments over the past year and setting priorities for the year ahead. 

40 years since its creation shows that the Schengen area has brought profound benefits to the EU and its citizens. It is the backbone for the EU’s internal market and facilitates the lives of almost 450 million people. Last year, Schengen was once again the world’s most visited destination, welcoming more than half a billion visitors and driving economic growth across the Union. 

Over time, Schengen has evolved into a robust and comprehensive system, where Member States with the support of the EU are effectively managing external borders, security and migration in a coordinated manner.  

The report adopted today reviews the functioning of the Schengen area and is the Commission’s contribution ahead of the June Schengen Council, which will celebrate 40 years since the signature of the Schengen Agreement. 

State of Schengen

The 2025 State of Schengen reports on the achievements, challenges and developments in the Schengen area during the last cycle of 2024-2025. The full accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area significantly strengthens the EU economy and is proof that the Member States are fully engaged to further improve cooperation under Schengen.

Furthermore, the Schengen requirements have become a crucial aspect of the EU enlargement process, as all candidate countries must have fully functioning national Schengen governance systems by the time they are admitted to the EU. And intensified EU efforts have led to a decline in irregular crossings at Schengen’s external borders, with around 240 000 detections – the lowest since 2021.

The report shows that the Schengen rules are well applied, and further work will continue in the following areas:    

• Further strengthening political and operational governance. Sharing an area without internal frontiers is based on trust. This requires the effective implementation of agreed rules and the use of common tools information, resources and infrastructure. The Commission will continue to track progress through the annual Schengen Scoreboard and further consolidate the Schengen evaluation and monitoring mechanism. This includes systems both in Schengen countries and candidate countries for EU accession. 
• Accelerating the implementation of the digitalisation framework to prevent security risks. This is key in the upcoming rollout of the Entry/Exit System and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). Continued investment in research and innovation is essential to protect the Schengen area using state-of-the-art European solutions in the future. 
• Adapt to the evolving security landscape with a common intelligence picture, joint operational actions and stronger cooperation among law enforcement authorities, including in internal border regions. As announced in the ProtectEU – European Internal Security Strategy, the Commission will work towards creating a High-Level Group on the future of operational law enforcement cooperation throughout the Schengen Area. 
• Preparedness well beyond our borders by deepening relations with partner countries in our neighbourhood and beyond. Europol and Member States have stepped up work in recent years to improve the transmission and processing of information from key third countries. Frontex has also reinforced its support to candidate countries.  
• Effective measures to return those with no legal right to stay in the EU. In 2024 there has been a nearly 12% increase in returns of third-country nationals with no right to stay in the Schengen area, however the overall return rate still needs to be further increased. To support Member States, the Commission carried out a Schengen evaluation last year identifying best practices for faster and more efficient returns. 
• Coordinated action within the Schengen area: rapid and effective information exchange between law enforcement authorities remains one of the most powerful tools in preventing and combating crime.The EU already has robust tools for situational awareness and risk analysis, such as EUROSUR and the Schengen Information System. The Commission with the Schengen Coordinator will continue to support Member States for an effective cooperation on cross-border operational law enforcement.

Next steps

Schengen will continue to evolve, adapt to new realities and respond to the shifting geopolitical landscape. The Commission will work with Member States to unlock the full potential of Schengen by building a free-movement area ready for the challenges ahead. To address remaining challenges, the 2025-2026 Schengen governance cycle will focus on consolidating the governance framework to enhance policy coordination, a structured and coherent approach to police cooperation, as well as accelerating the digitalisation of procedures and systems to increase security. 

The Commission invites the Schengen Council to discuss in June this 2025 State of Schengen report and adopt the priorities for the 2025-2026 Schengen cycle.  

Background

The Commission has been evaluating annually the State of Schengen since 2022 when the Schengen Council, the Schengen cycle and the new Schengen evaluation framework were established. This exercise marks continued delivery on the Commission’s initiative to reinforce the common governance of the Schengen area and ensure a structured, coordinated and common response to its challenges.