Abgeordnete ohne Grenzen? Das Europäische Parlament und die Entstehung des Schengener Abkommens

This article investigates the long-neglected influence of the European Parliament (EP) in the field of free movement of persons and the abolishment of border controls in the European Community (EC). Since the immediate post-war period, parliamentarians lobbied for a new mobility regime in Europe. In the early years, this was mainly done in the Council of Europe’s (then) Consultative Assembly, before the EC’s fora became more important. By trying to abolish visas, border formalities and controls, the parliamentarians spearheaded initiatives that some member states were also pursuing. The Council’s decision in 1975 to introduce a common format passport was a decisive step and after the direct elections to the EP in 1979, the activism in this field gained traction. Particularly a trio of German members (Karl von Wogau, Dieter Rogalla and Horst Seefeld) and the so-called Kangaroo Group developed effective strategies to spread their ideas and influence policy by including regional, national and supra-national actors as well as their parties and groups in the EP. The years 1981-1984 brought essential changes and lead to the Schengen Agreement in 1985, in which the EP’s role has long been neglected.