One of the unexpected outcomes of the Arab Spring in North Africa has been a debate within the European Union about the Schengen zone of passport-free travel. A number of countries, worried about an influx of refugees from Tunisia and Libya, have called for a reform of Schengen rules to make it easier to reimpose border controls.
But now the EU feels Denmark has gone too far with its unilateral decision Wednesday to tighten frontier checks. The European Commission has demanded an explanation from the Danish government for its plans to reintroduce permanent controls on its national borders with Germany and Sweden.
The European Commission "will not accept" any challenge to the principle of freedom of movement of goods and people in the European Union, Commission spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen -- herself from Denmark -- told the news agency AFP. A spokesman for the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström said that "unilateral" actions by member countries should be avoided.
For more: Schengen Zone Dispute: EU Slams Denmark over Plans to Reintroduce Border Checks - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International
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