Greater Copenhagen Welcomes European Commission’s Call for Sweden to Phase Out Border Controls

Greater Copenhagen has welcomed the European Commission’s call for Sweden to abolish the internal border controls with Denmark. According to the Commission, the controls no longer meet the requirements of necessity and proportionality, and the Commission has formally criticised Sweden in its opinion.

Sweden first introduced temporary internal border controls in 2015. Since then, they have been extended every six months, with the latest extension running until November 2026. The European Commission is now urging Sweden to phase out the controls.

According to Carl-Johan Sonesson, Chairman of Greater Copenhagen and Chair of the Regional Council of Region Skåne, the Commission’s opinion confirms the position that Greater Copenhagen has maintained for a long time.

He states that the organisation looks forward to the Swedish government acting on the Commission’s recommendation and abolishing the controls. At the same time, he points to alternative solutions that can maintain security without restricting mobility in the region.

The Commission assesses that Sweden has not demonstrated that the border controls are necessary and proportionate in relation to alternative measures. Furthermore, according to the Commission, Sweden has not submitted the risk analysis and impact assessment for the border region required under the Schengen Borders Code.

The Commission also notes that Sweden has not explained why police checks in border areas, which have been possible since a new law entered into force in 2023, cannot replace the current border controls.

Since 2016, Greater Copenhagen has highlighted the same concerns. Most recently, these were presented in the 2025 report “10 years of temporary internal border control.” According to the report, the controls result in 65,000 lost working days each year due to increased travel times.

The report also shows that only 3 out of every 10,000 people checked are stopped, while the socio-economic costs are estimated at approximately SEK 47 million per year. In addition, the report states that the controls prevent an expansion of rail capacity across the Öresund Strait, which the Swedish government has commissioned ahead of the opening of the Fehmarn Belt connection.

Carl-Johan Sonesson stresses that, in his view, the consequences of the controls have not been sufficiently analysed or taken into account. He emphasises that the issue concerns not only the border region but also southern Sweden and the growth and development generated there.

The European Commission’s opinion is the first formal step in a process that could ultimately end before the Court of Justice of the European Union.