Publication

In addressing common border management in the EU, this paper highlights the dilemma faced by states in counterbalancing the need for border openness to allow effective trade, with sufficient security to provide protection to those states' citizens. The author notes that the particular case of the EU is problematic in that twenty-five different legal and administrative systems must be coordinated and taken into account when developing Union-wide policies, particularly within the Schengen passport-free area. Citing other international examples of cooperation and tracing the history of border changes in the EU, the paper concludes by advocating a communitarian approach of "integrated border management" which balances openness with security whilst respecting privacy concerns.