Since March 2020, a number of Schengen and non-Schengen EU countries have started to implement different border measures and restrictions due to threats related to the spread of COVID-19. In other words, member States have introduced border controls at internal borders on the grounds of an immediate threat to public policy and public safety.

The Schengen Borders Code lays down the common rules governing the management of internal and external EU borders, including rules and procedures concerning the exceptional introduction of border checks at internal borders. According to the Code, Member States need to notify the Commission and the other Member States before taking action, specifying the reasons, scope and duration of the measures. This information must be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council too.

For further information on this, you can access the recent document of the European Parliamentary Research Service on the impact of coronavirus on Schengen borders:  https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2020/649347/EPRS_BRI(2020)649347_EN.pdf  This document was mainly prepared to address the Members and staff of the European Parliament as background material, during this exceptional circumstance we are all living.

It might be worth mentioning that in order to ensure the free circulation of goods and services in the single market during the ongoing health crisis, the European Commission put forward guidelines for border management measures which we have already referenced in this platform and you can access here.