In a communication released on 5 July, the European Commission urged nine member states—including Austria and Germany—to draw up a roadmap for phasing out internal Schengen border controls. The opinion, referenced by the Berliner Zeitung, argues that systematic checks, in place at the AT-DE frontier since 2015 and recently prolonged to September 2026, must remain an "absolute last resort". The Commission recommends replacing fixed checkpoints with risk-based mobile patrols, biometric vehicle scans and real-time data-sharing—tools that, it says, will be reinforced by the EU’s new Migration & Asylum Pact and the fully-operational Entry/Exit System. Austria maintains border posts along the Slovenian, Hungarian, Czech and Slovak frontiers, citing asylum pressure and people-smuggling. Vienna’s Interior Ministry insists that controls will stay "until measurable declines in irregular crossings" are evident. For Austrian exporters the political tussle carries cost implications. A study by the Institute for Advanced Studies calculates that each additional minute at the AT-DE land border costs supply chains €2 million per year. While Brussels stopped short of infringement proceedings, it signalled that future renewals will be scrutinised against stricter proportionality criteria—a warning that companies should monitor before planning 2027 logistics contracts.
Source: Berliner Zeitung
