OREANDA-NEWS  The European Parliament called for the restoration of the free movement of people in the Schengen area, which was disrupted, including due to the pandemic, the EP said.

"MEPs are calling for the restoration of free movement in the Schengen area, which was recently violated by border controls due to the COVID-19 crisis", - the release stated.

A resolution with such an appeal was adopted by the majority of the deputies at the current plenary session.

"The interim regime of internal border control has been in effect since 2015, in addition, the pandemic is putting the Schengen area in danger", - the press release said.

The Schengen Border Code provides Member States with the ability to temporarily re-establish border controls at internal borders in the event of a serious threat to internal security. A number of EU countries have launched this mechanism, in some states it is still in effect.

“Noting that some internal border controls have been in place since 2015, MEP’s say that such checks no longer meet the criteria of proportionality and necessity and are therefore illegal”, -  the release said.

The EP also demands the full integration of Bulgaria and Romania into the free movement zone, noting that both countries have met the requirements for joining the Schengen area.