Since 1 August, hundreds of thousands of travellers between Italy and Spain have faced internal border checks, and they still do. Workers, students, families and patients are paying for a dispute between two governments over the fallout from Ceuta.
Neither government has shown the serious threat to public policy or internal security that EU law requires. No one who entered Ceuta reached mainland Spain or any other member state, and departures from Ceuta are already subject to identity and document checks.
The Good Lobby has lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission, written by Professor Alberto Alemanno and co-signed by over 100 academics, former EU Commissioners, including Josep Borrell, Laszlo Andor, Joaquín Almunia, Nicolas Schmit and Sophie ‘in t Veld, former MEP. It asks the Commission to meet its supervisory obligations under the Schengen Borders Code and to open infringement proceedings against Italy, Spain and Austria.
This goes beyond Schengen. A Commission that will not enforce the rules among its own members has little credibility demanding them from others.