The European Commission on Tuesday recommended that Germany and other EU countries phase out border checks within the Schengen area.
Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia and Sweden have introduced temporary border checks in recent years despite being members of the visa-free Schengen area.
The temporary checks are compatible with European Union law under certain conditions, the commission said, which include "genuine and legitimate concerns related to security threats and the migratory situation."
Border checks have been in place at all Germany’s national borders since September 2024. The border controls have since been extended three times – most recently until mid-September 2026.
EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner stressed that "illegal border crossings are down another 40% in 2026."
In addition, the EU is "rolling out the most modern border management systems in the world," he said, which puts capitals "in the position to work towards phasing out controls at internal borders."
"More efficient and effective alternatives to internal border controls are available", including "non-systematic police checks or mobile biometric identification and vehicle tracking technologies," the commission said.
The commission did not say by when the border checks should be lifted, stating however that "in principle, the maximum duration of border control at internal borders shall not exceed 2 years."
