Impact of border controls on border regions

Priority question for written answer P-003882/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Raquel García Hermida-Van Der Walle (Renew)

Since Germany and the Netherlands introduced border controls, residents and road users in border regions have been living with the consequences on a daily basis, with long queues, closed regional roads and forced road exits for checks now commonplace. This renders weekly shopping, refuelling or eating out across the border considerably more difficult. In addition, many motorists and transport companies are avoiding the motorways and crossing the border at smaller crossings, which is causing a lot of congestion and significantly reducing the quality of life of local residents. In the municipalities of Losser, Montferland and Sittard-Geleen, to name but a few, there is a great deal of nuisance being caused by the border controls introduced by the German Government and extended in September.[1]

• 1.Is the Commission aware of the disproportionate burden that border controls introduced over the past year have placed on residents of Dutch border regions? Has the Commission itself visited the controls at the Dutch-German border and spoken to border residents, or has it spoken only to the central authorities?
• 2.When did the Commission initiate a consultation process in accordance with the Schengen Borders Code to assess the necessity and proportionality of the border controls, when is this process expected to be completed, and what action will the Commission take if the border controls prove not to be necessary and proportionate to achieve the intended objective?

Submitted: 3.10.2025

• [1] https://nos.nl/artikel/2572168-drukte-in-grensdorpen-door-vrachtwagens-die-controles-a1-omzeilen; https://www.tubantia.nl/enschede/twentse-transportbedrijven-zijn-grenscontroles-meer-dan-zat-maar-duitse-minister-wil-langer-door~abfa8228/; https://www.gelderlander.nl/montferland/duitsland-wil-door-met-grenscontroles-en-dit-is-hoe-ze-daar-in-de-grensregio-over-denken~a764780f/?referrer=.