Event

30.04.2020 - Border(less) Europe: When do we go back to normal?

29.04.2020
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The virtual event took place on 30 April 2020 (Thursday) via Zoom,  10.00 – 11.00 AM 

Borders and travels restrictions are being introduced in a pervasive manner to contain the spread of coronavirus. This includes Europe - the continent that has been proudly border-free, owing to the Schengen zone, for three decades and reaped immense economic benefits from it. The underlying assumption is that border controls and travel bans are a temporary provision. The borders and travel restrictions within the Schengen zone ought to be lifted again once the crisis is gone. How to make sure that temporary provisions do not become permanent? What are the lessons learnt from this crisis? How to make the Schengen zone more sustainable in the future? 

Opening: Alena Kudzko, Director, GLOBSEC Policy Institute  

Presentation of Policy Paper “Nothing but Schengen Matters: Updating Schengen: Political and Technocratic Patches”, DIFF GOV Policy Paper, GLOBSEC, April 2020 

Speakers:

Tom Snels, Deputy Head of Cabinet, Commissioner Ylva Johansson for Home Affairs

Lukas Mandl, Member of European Parliament

Alena Kudzko, Director, GLOBSEC Policy Institute

Catharina Sørensen, Deputy Director, Think Tank EUROPA

Michal Šimečka, Member of European Parliament

Moderated by: Alexandra Martin, Head of Brussels Office, GLOBSEC

The discussion forms a part of a bigger international project called DIFF GOV: European Governance: Potential of Differentiated Cooperation that is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. 

DIFF GOV explores the potential for flexible modes of cooperation between European Union member states in four areas: economic cooperation, Schengen zone, Common Security and Defence Policy, and Foreign and Neighbourhood Policy.

Video