External border of the European Union

The border of the European Union consists of the land and sea borders that member states of the EU share with foreign states adjacent to the union.

Map of the European Union (as of March 2020)
Map of the EU, including all special territories. The Outermost Regions in blue are considered part of the EU's external borders.

Border status and cooperation

In 2004 the European Union developed the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) for the promotion of cooperation between the EU and its neighbours to the east and south of the European territory of the EU (i.e., excluding its outermost regions outside of Europe),[1] which, in part, includes the Cross-Border Cooperation programme aimed at the promotion of economic development in border areas and ensuring border security.[2]

External border control

The Border and Coast Guard Agency, more commonly known as Frontex, was established in 2004. Its main task is external border control of the Schengen Area. Most of its activities are coordinated with the coast and border guards of member states.

List of bilateral land borders

Current borders
Border Member state Third country Location
#Austria–Liechtenstein border (S)AustriaLiechtensteinSchengen + Enclave
#Austria–Switzerland border (S)AustriaSwitzerlandSchengen + Enclave
#Bulgaria–North Macedonia borderBulgariaNorth Macedonia  Ex-Yugoslavia
#Bulgaria–Serbia borderBulgariaSerbiaEx-Yugoslavia
#Bulgaria–Turkey borderBulgariaTurkeyEurasia
#Croatia–Bosnia and Herzegovina borderCroatiaBosnia and HerzegovinaEx-Yugoslavia
#Croatia–Montenegro borderCroatiaMontenegroEx-Yugoslavia
#Croatia–Serbia borderCroatiaSerbiaEx-Yugoslavia
#Cyprus–Akrotiri and Dhekelia (Akrotiri and Dhekelia have not been part of the EU)CyprusAkrotiri and Dhekeliaisland
#Estonia–Russia borderEstoniaRussiaEurasia
#Finland–Norway border (S)FinlandNorwaySchengen
#Finland–Russia borderFinlandRussiaEurasia
#France–Andorra borderFranceAndorraEnclave
#France–Brazil borderFranceBraziloverseas territory
#France–Monaco border (O)FranceMonacoOpen border to microstates, minimal border control
#France–Netherlands border (Saint-Martin and Sint Maarten); see Franco-Dutch treaty on Saint Martin border controlsFranceNetherlandsinsular
#France–Suriname borderFranceSurinameoverseas territory
#France–Switzerland border (S)FranceSwitzerlandSchengen + Enclave
#Germany–Switzerland border (S)GermanySwitzerlandSchengen + Enclave
#Greece–Albania borderGreeceAlbaniaEurasia
#Greece–North Macedonia borderGreeceNorth-MacedoniaEx-Yugoslavia
#Greece–Turkey borderGreeceTurkeyEurasia
#Hungary–Serbia borderHungarySerbiaEx-Yugoslavia
#Hungary–Ukraine borderHungaryUkraineEurasia
#Italy–San Marino border (O)ItalySan-MarinoOpen border to microstates, minimal border control
#Italy–Switzerland border (S)ItalySwitzerlandSchengen + Enclave
#Italy–Vatican City border (O)ItalyVaticanEnclave + Open border to microstates, minimal border control
#Latvia–Belarus borderLatviaBelarusEurasia
#Latvia–Russia borderLatviaRussiaEurasia
#Lithuania–Belarus borderLithuaniaBelarusEurasia
#Lithuania–Russia borderLithuaniaRussiaEurasia
#Poland–Belarus borderPolandBelarusEurasia
#Poland–Russia borderPolandRussiaEurasia
#Poland–Ukraine borderPolandUkraineEurasia
#Republic of Ireland-United Kingdom borderRepublic of IrelandUnited Kingdominsular / Brexit
#Romania–Moldova borderRomaniaMoldovaEurasia
#Romania–Serbia borderRomaniaSerbiaEx-Yugoslavia
#Romania–Ukraine borderRomaniaUkraineEurasia
#Slovakia–Ukraine borderSlovakiaUkraineEurasia
#Spain–Andorra borderSpainAndorraEnclave
#Spain–Gibraltar borderSpainGibraltarBrexit
#Spain–Morocco borderSpainMoroccoAfrica
#Sweden–Norway border (S)SwedenNorwaySchengen
  • (S) = Internal Schengen border, no border control, although there may be customs control due to the external EU border status
  • (O) = Open border to microstates, minimal border control

De facto borders
  1. Cyprus–Northern Cyprus border (Green Line)

Former borders
Border From Until
West Germany–Denmark border 1958 1973
France–Spain border 1958 1986
West German–East German border 1958 1990
(West) Germany–Austria border 1958 1995
Italy–Austria border 1958 1995
Germany–Poland border 1990 2004
Germany–Czech Republic
(previously [West] Germany–Czechoslovakia) border		 1958,
1990		 2004
Austria–Czech Republic border 1995 2004
Austria–Slovakia border 1995 2004
Austria–Hungary border 1995 2004
Austria–Slovenia border 1995 2004
Italy–Slovenia (previously Italy–Yugoslavia) border 1958 2004
Hungary–Romania border 2004 2007
Greece–Bulgaria border 1981 2007
Hungary–Croatia border 2004 2013
Slovenia–Croatia border 2004 2013

See also

References
  1. What is the European Neighbourhood Policy?
  2. "The new European Neighbourhood Instrument: providing increased support to the EU's partners". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-03-14.
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