A draft Council Implementing Decision circulated to Member States on 14 October calls on Belgium to fix “serious deficiencies” uncovered during the 2026 Schengen evaluation. The confidential document (Council No. 13757/26) demands improvements in information exchange, data quality and frontline border-check procedures. Belgium has two months after adoption to submit an action plan under Regulation 2022/922. Evaluators flagged inconsistent use of the General Declaration system for private flights, gaps in real-time data uploads to SIS and insufficient training for officers at non-Schengen airports such as Liège and Charleroi. They also highlighted outdated infrastructure at the Zeebrugge ferry terminal, where biometric exit controls still rely on legacy hardware. If the Council formally adopts the Decision at Coreper or the JHA Council later this month, Belgium could face follow-up inspections and, in extremis, infringement proceedings or partial suspension of Schengen benefits. The Interior Ministry says preparatory work on an action plan is already under way, prioritising upgraded document scanners and extra staff training at Brussels Airport. For globally mobile workforces the findings matter because any future reinstatement of checks—or reputational doubts about document reliability—could slow arrivals of assignees and increase visa-verification times. Employers should track the action plan’s implementation and budget for possible extra lead time when mobilising staff through Belgian ports. The draft Decision comes as several Member States, notably Germany and France, keep temporary internal border controls, underscoring wider pressure on Schengen governance.
