The enlargement of the Schengen Area: a historic and moving moment

Professor Bronisław Geremek discusses the historical significance of the 2007 Schengen Area expansion, which integrated nine 2004 EU accession states. He frames the removal of internal border controls as a realization of the 'Four Freedoms' and a critical step toward full European citizenship for Central and Eastern Europeans. However, he warns that this internal openness necessitates strengthened external borders, potentially creating a 'Fortress Europe' that excludes neighbors to the east and undocumented immigrants.

• The December 2007 enlargement of the Schengen Area included 9 of the 10 countries that joined the EU in 2004, increasing the area's population by 18% (approximately 60 million inhabitants) and its landmass by 15% (over half a million km²).
• The abolition of border controls is viewed as a symbolic transition for citizens of Central and Eastern Europe, moving them from a status of 'second-class EU citizens' to the recognition of full European citizenship.
• Freedom of movement is one of the 'Four Freedoms' of European integration, alongside the free movement of goods, services, and capital, and is considered fundamental to the development of a common European identity.
• The removal of internal borders requires the strengthening of external borders and the application of a common visa policy, which risks creating a 'Fortress Europe' and a sense of exclusion for non-EU neighbors.
• Despite the push for impervious external borders, Central European countries remain targets for immigration; for example, it is estimated that 100,000 to 200,000 Ukrainians work in the Czech Republic and 500,000 work in Poland.
• The security of the new external border presents specific challenges, such as the 97-kilometre stretch of the border between Slovakia and Ukraine in the Carpathian Mountains, which is used by undocumented immigrants.

APA

Geremek, B. (2016). The enlargement of the Schengen Area: a historic and moving moment. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/europe-one-house-for-all/

Chicago

Geremek, Bronisław. The enlargement of the Schengen Area: a historic and moving moment. Green European Journal, 2016. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/europe-one-house-for-all/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Geremek |first1=Bronisław |title=The enlargement of the Schengen Area: a historic and moving moment |publisher=Green European Journal |date=1 March 2016 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/europe-one-house-for-all/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{geremek2016enlargement, author = {Geremek, Bronisław}, title = {{The enlargement of the Schengen Area: a historic and moving moment}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2016}, month = mar, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/europe-one-house-for-all/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }