{"id":14662,"date":"2025-08-22T07:32:31","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T07:32:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newestek.com\/?p=14662"},"modified":"2025-08-22T07:32:31","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T07:32:31","slug":"ensuring-security-in-a-borderless-world-the-30th-anniversary-of-schengen-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newestek.com\/?p=14662","title":{"rendered":"Ensuring security in a borderless world: The 30th anniversary of Schengen system"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

In an international tariff context<\/a> and divisions, in which multilateralism is being questioned, the European Union remains a showcase of cooperation between countries. Perhaps one of the most visible examples of this cooperation is the Schengen area or the elimination of internal borders between EU countries<\/a>. Since the initial agreement was signed between Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg in 1985, the territory it covers has changed several times, to the total of 29 countries (25 EU and four non-EU) it covers today. But the free movement of people would not be possible without a network to ensure that it would not be used for criminal purposes. Thus the Schengen Information System, or SIS, was born in 1995 and will be 30 years old in 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe system serves as a technological safeguard to compensate for the absence of internal border controls,\u201d explains Lucas Gonz\u00e1lez Ojeda, acting director of the European Commission Representation in Spain. \u201cThe introduction of the SIS was an important step in reinforcing internal security, while at the same time allowing the free movement of people and goods within the Schengen area.\u201d Gonz\u00e1lez Ojeda highlights four advantages since its deployment: it improves security by facilitating rapid access to a database of criminal activities, missing persons and stolen goods and facilitates a uniform response among the states involved. In the same vein, it facilitates cross-border cooperation in both crime and irregular migration management. It also served to lay the groundwork for a wider exchange of data within the EU. Finally, it brings economic and social benefits by ensuring safe mobility and better integration.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/figure>\n

CE. Lucas Gonz\u00e1lez Ojeda, director en funciones de la Representaci\u00f3n de la Comisi\u00f3n Europea en Espa\u00f1a<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cThe system serves as a technological safeguard to compensate for the absence of internal border controls.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Lucas Gonz\u00e1lez Ojeda <\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

\u201cWhenever people talk about Schengen, they always think of it as the free movement of people,\u201d reflects Diego L\u00f3pez Garrido, director of Fundaci\u00f3n Alternativas.\u201dBut the Schengen information system is a security system, which guarantees that the free movement of borders is viable. If this were not the case, we would return to the Europe of borders.\u201d The SIS ensures real-time cooperation between the national authorities of the 30 countries participating in the security framework \u2014 one more, as Ireland is also included. It does this through a triple structure<\/a>. On the one hand there is the central system, with a joint database physically located in Strasbourg, with information on people and objects. Each member country also has national systems and SIRENE offices for requesting information complementary to the national entry, operational 24\/7 and responsible for the exchange of information and coordination between agencies. There is also the network that links everything together. <\/p>\n

Since 2013, the European agency eu-LISA has been in charge of its management and development, responsible<\/a> not only for ensuring that it works at all times, but also that it is a robust and interoperable system with all the databases involved. Although it may appear to be a complicated structure, it maintains an agile operation. \u201cYou can fight criminal activity very quickly,\u201d defends Garrido. \u201cIt has become an instrument of enormous security efficiency.\u201d<\/p>\n

Development<\/h2>\n

In the 30 years it has been in operation, the SIS has undergone two updates since that first model that showed basic functionalities with limited information. In 2013, the second-generation SIS, or SIS II, was implemented, which adapted<\/a> to new technologies by incorporating more information into alerts, such as fingerprints or photographs, as well as increased security. Ten years later, in 2023, SIS-RECAST, which is still in force today, came into operation. This new version<\/a> introduces changes derived from the updates of the European Regulations governing the Schengen area, which result in increased cooperation between countries, increasing access to more competent national authorities, such as migration authorities. In addition, it adopts new ways of locating and identifying wanted persons, as well as additional tools and categories of extra alerts, and reinforces controls at external borders.<\/p>\n

The evolution of the system has included other updates. For example, while fingerprint storage comes into effect with SIS II, 2018 sees the launch of an automatic fingerprint identification system (AFIS) that allows identification solely by this route. With SIS-RECAST, this model adds additional biometric data, such as prints and palm prints or DNA profiles of missing persons or their relatives. \u201cThe revamped SIS reflects the EU\u2019s shift towards a modern digitized and interoperable border management framework,\u201d Ojeda summarizes. Its development \u201cis part of wider EU digital initiatives and the EU interoperability framework between large-scale IT systems,\u201d even though the technology used since its inception remains similar. \u201cNo cloud computing or AI technology is used at the moment,\u201d he explains. However, these are options that will be considered when discussing the future of the SIS.\u201d<\/p>\n

SIS challenges<\/h2>\n

\u201cTechnological development means that Schengen has been modernized,\u201d says Garrido, who advances one of the system\u2019s controversies. \u201cThere is a privacy problem that affects human rights,\u201d as the new versions incorporate sensitive biometric information. Garrido defends the need for \u201cno unnecessary data affecting people\u2019s privacy and, above all, absolute security\u201d. He alludes to the current debate on whether the Schengen system is going too far in data collection and the need to ensure that its use is limited to certain tasks, for example, fighting crime. Precisely, Ojeda qualifies as one of the challenges ahead for the SIS \u201cthe balance between innovation and privacy: as emerging technologies, such as AI, are being explored, their integration must respect the requirements of the GDPR <\/a>and respect ethical standards.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
srcset=”https:\/\/b2b-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Fundac-Alternativas-156.jpg?quality=50&strip=all 2558w, https:\/\/b2b-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Fundac-Alternativas-156.jpg?resize=200%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 200w, https:\/\/b2b-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Fundac-Alternativas-156.jpg?resize=768%2C1153&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https:\/\/b2b-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Fundac-Alternativas-156.jpg?resize=682%2C1024&quality=50&strip=all 682w, https:\/\/b2b-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Fundac-Alternativas-156.jpg?resize=1023%2C1536&quality=50&strip=all 1023w, https:\/\/b2b-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Fundac-Alternativas-156.jpg?resize=1365%2C2048&quality=50&strip=all 1365w, https:\/\/b2b-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Fundac-Alternativas-156.jpg?resize=464%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 464w, https:\/\/b2b-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Fundac-Alternativas-156.jpg?resize=112%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 112w, https:\/\/b2b-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Fundac-Alternativas-156.jpg?resize=56%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 56w, https:\/\/b2b-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Fundac-Alternativas-156.jpg?resize=320%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 320w, https:\/\/b2b-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Fundac-Alternativas-156.jpg?resize=240%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 240w, https:\/\/b2b-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Fundac-Alternativas-156.jpg?resize=167%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 167w” width=”682″ height=”1024″ sizes=”auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px”><\/figure>\n

Fundaci\u00f3n Alternativas. En la imagen, Diego\u00a0L\u00f3pez\u00a0Garrido, director de la Fundaci\u00f3n.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cThere is a privacy problem that affects human rights.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Diego L\u00f3pez Garrido<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

The need to safeguard data privacy goes hand in hand with its protection. Although no infrastructure is ever 100% shielded, the Schengen information system maintains \u201ca complete set of safeguards,\u201d in Ojeda\u2019s words. This is designed to make access difficult, maintain the privacy of the information handled and ensure a swift reaction to possible events. It employs access controls and encryption, with role-based permissions and multi-factor authentication; regular independent audits and assessments; and collaboration with ENISA \u2014 the European Cybersecurity Agency \u2014 and national authorities for rapid response to incidents. In addition, of course, to compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation.<\/p>\n

The SIS seeks to make progress in cyber-resilience through tools such as infrastructure replication. With regulations such as NIS-2<\/a> or DORA<\/a>, resilience is becoming the key word in the sector, a response to the rapid technological evolution, also in cybercrime. For Ojeda, another of the keys to the future lies precisely in the adaptation of SIS to emerging criminal threats. \u201cThe system must remain agile to adapt to police needs and keep up to date from a technological perspective,\u201d he concludes.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In an international tariff context and divisions, in which multilateralism is being questioned, the European Union remains a showcase of cooperation between countries. Perhaps one of the most visible examples of this cooperation is the Schengen area or the elimination of internal borders between EU countries. Since the initial agreement was signed between Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg in 1985, the territory it… <\/p>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","is-cat-link-borders-light is-cat-link-rounded"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newestek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newestek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newestek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newestek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newestek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14662"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newestek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14662\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newestek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newestek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newestek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}