Many European Union member states have reimposed border restrictions and travel bans in March amid the COVID-19 pandemic without notifying relevant EU authorities about their decisions due to the urgency during the health crisis.
"In the medium-term, MEPs [Members of the European Parliament] stress that a reflection on how to enhance mutual trust between member states and ensure a truly European governance of the Schengen area is needed. In light of new challenges, they call on the Commission to propose a reform of Schengen governance," the committee said in a press release, as quoted by the European Parliament.
Civil Liberties Committee Chair and Rapporteur Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar called on EU members to refrain from acting unilaterally when countries would start reopening borders. Moreover, the lawmaker urged the commission to start working on a plan that would fully restore the Schengen agreement, which envisions freedom of movement in the bloc.
The committee has adopted a resolution on Thursday, which calls on the EU to reinstate the Shengen, and the parliament is set to vote on it during a plenary session scheduled for 17-19 June.
