Group Photo for Schengen Agreement 40th Anniversary; Credit: Chronicle.lu

In advance of Saturday's celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Schengen Agreement, a press briefing was organised on Thursday evening in Schengen, in the margins of the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council being held in Luxembourg on 12 June (Justice) and 13 June (Home Affairs).

The event was held at the landing stage in Schengen, near the "Schengen Agreement Monument", on board the newly-renovated MS Princesse Marie-Astrid, following an official dinner aboard the ship which took place during a boat trip from Grevenmacher to Schengen. The dinner had been arranged by Léon Gloden, Luxembourg’s Minister for Home Affairs, and Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s Minister of the Interior and Administration, and Coordinator of Special Services, who had invited the Ministers of the Interior of the Schengen Member States, in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the signing of the Schengen Agreement.

Minister Léon Gloden spoke in English and thanked everyone for coming, including both national and international press; he stated "we shared our common values of the Schengen area. 40 years ago five countries - Belgium, France, (West) Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands - signed the Schengen Agreement, a powerful tool of European integration". He added that what started in 1985 addressing free movement of people, now directly affects 450 million people… without barriers. He stated "We suffer various challenges, including migration and war... this celebration is not only looking at the past but also the future... Schengen is a living project... We support the Schengen Agreement and firmly reject internal border controls".

Poland's Minister Tomasz Siemoniak spoke in Polish, translated into English. He said that millions of people live in and move throughout the Schengen area daily. "Everyone knows that Schengen is an important place in Luxembourg... In Poland we believe in the freedom of travel which is embodied in the Schengen Agreement". He welcomed the recent inclusion of Bulgaria and Romania into Schengen. He also praised the Luxembourgish hospitality.

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy at the European Commission, spoke in English and talked about the dream that became reality 40 years ago. She said that it has cone a long way from just five Member States... it has become a cornerstone of European identity. "Schengen has stood out as a shared experience which is the very essence of the European project... Now is the time to unlock its full potential... it must remain a strategic asset at all levels... Schengen must remain a symbol of unity and shared values".

Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, talked in English and stated that Schengen is one if the biggest achievements of the European Union. He talked about growing up in Austria and the free movement of people and of goods. He said that the Schengen area is the largest tourist area where people can move freely. He acknowledged the challenges, including of development and of reinforcing external borders and increasing cooperation between members within the area. "As members of the Schengen area, it makes us all better off".

The press briefing was followed by a group photo aboard the M.S. Princesse Marie-Astrid.

Many of the evening's attendees will return on Saturday for the formal 40th anniversary celebrations.

ED