Where are the EU’s external frontier controls defined?
The harmonised EU external frontier controls are defined in Article 6 of the Schengen Convention, and further specified in the common manual on external borders, which is a partly confidential set of operational instructions covering the conditions for entering the territory of the signatories to Schengen, and the detailed rules and procedures for carrying out frontier controls. The manual deals with all types of frontier, including terrestrial borders, airports, and maritime and inland waterways. External border controls comprise checks at border-crossing points and surveillance between border-crossing points. Checks on persons shall not only include the verification of travel documents and the other conditions governing entry, residence, work and exit but also checks to detect and prevent threats to national security and public policy.
