Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told BFM TV that controls would be put in place for about a month "in the context of terrorist threats that could come and stain this large international gathering that is carrying a grand message for humanity."
"No, not a suspension of Schengen" but France will reintroduce border control for one month during #COP21 https://t.co/4igQq5CMvG
— Sound of Provence (@soundofprovence) November 6, 2015
The UN Climate Change conference will be held in Paris from November 30 to December 11, with 80 heads of state plus tens of thousands of other people to be present in the city at the time.
However, the decision has added to criticism that the EU’s ambitious open border policy is unsustainable, with a number of countries closing off their borders in recent months as a reaction to the refugee crisis.
Critics have argued that the Schengen zone has exacerbated the flow of refugees into Europe, while the open border access has also facilitated the flow of weapons and terrorist activity among EU states.
The Schengen Zone consists of 22 mainland European EU countries plus four non-EU states.
France’s decision to impose border controls in the lead up to the climate change conference follows similar actions taken by a number of EU states this year, with many countries reintroducing controls to try and stem the flow of refugees and migrants.
Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Austria were among those countries that have imposed border controls over the past few months with concerns the EU’s open borders policy is being increasingly undermined by member states concerned about terror and immigration issues.