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Brussels – Austria’s residents in addition to companies really feel extra affected by the (short-term) controls on the Schengen borders between the EU states than the EU common: In keeping with two Eurobarometer surveys printed on Tuesday, greater than half of the Austrian respondents mentioned that they had already skilled inner border controls, in comparison with 28 % EU-wide. A fifth of Austrian firms had been affected, in comparison with 7 % EU-wide.
Quite a few international locations have reintroduced (short-term) controls at their inner borders as a result of safety considerations, together with Austria, Germany, and Italy. The state of the Schengen Space can be on the agenda for the assembly of EU inside ministers on Thursday in Luxembourg. Austria is presently blocking the total admission of Bulgaria and Romania, which have been members of “Air Schengen” for the reason that finish of March. Controls at air and sea borders had been thus lifted.
Greater than six out of ten respondents within the EU and Austria imagine that the EU ought to strengthen cooperation throughout the Schengen Space. Round half in each the EU and Austria are conscious of the measures (e.g., border controls, border surveillance, fixed data trade) that the EU international locations should implement to guard their exterior borders. Two-thirds of Europeans and 60 % of Austrian survey members take into account these efficient. Nonetheless, half of all folks demand investments in technological options for higher safety of exterior borders.
The Schengen venture is seen positively within the economic system: Round 80 % of all firms surveyed within the EU and Austria see benefits for his or her nation in collaborating within the Schengen Space, and simply as many take into account Schengen to be one of many essential achievements of the EU. Advantages for their very own firm are seen by 69 % of European businesspeople, and even 80 % of home ones.
EU-wide, round 26,000 folks had been surveyed for the Eurobarometer survey on residents’ attitudes in the direction of Schengen in March and April 2024, together with round 1,000 in Austria. For the businesses’ stance, almost 13,000 interviews had been carried out EU-wide in the identical interval, together with 503 in Austria. (09.10.2024)
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