Screening Workshop: From Pact Rules to Practical Rollout

Frontex hosted a Screening Implementation Workshop in Warsaw on 18-19 September, bringing together EU Member States, Schengen-associated countries, the European Commission and EU agencies. With the new screening rules already established, the focus was on how to put them into practice as of June 2026.

The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum is a package of laws that sets a common European approach to migration and asylum. It is intended to facilitate stronger border management, faster and clearer procedures, and a framework for solidarity, while protecting people's rights. On 11 June 2024, the Pact was adopted, comprising eight regulations and one directive, which will be applicable from June 2026. Learn more on the Home Affairs website.

Hosted in Warsaw, the workshop brought together the practitioners of national authorities with EUAA, Europol and Frontex. This wasn't about re-writing the rules; it was about making screening work on the ground: who does what on site, how files move, what training is needed, and how to keep the process fast, fair and rights-respecting.

The European Commission (DG HOME) set a clear tone: the legal framework is in place; now Member States should take the operational decisions only they can take, such as designate sites and lead authorities, secure budgets, recruit and train staff, and establish independent monitoring arrangements. A forthcoming Commission committee on Schengen Borders Code will track progress. The support provided by the agencies was welcomed and considered relevant for the success of the implementation phase, with the agencies' input being essential to this process.

Before the roundtables, where Member State experts debated the implementation process, panel one brought together EU agencies (EUAA, Frontex and Europol), who announced the available training support and practical tools (such as the Screening Toolbox), as well as the operational engagement required to ensure an efficient and rights-respecting screening process.

During panel two, meanwhile, Member State authorities from France, Cyprus and Romania shared practical progress on the screening implementation at the borders and inland multipurpose centres (for screening, asylum and return), the changes being made to the legal framework and the main challenges being considered to ensure systematic screening of third-country nationals with the aid of interpreters and clear documentation, and integrated flows aligned with the new legal timelines: up to 7 days for border screening and 3 days for in-territory cases.

For all the positive progress recounted by Member State representatives, some inevitable implementation challenges remain to be worked through together:

• Information-sharing without a common EU case management system, and how national systems embrace security checks with use of EU and international databases.
• Working with stakeholders not traditionally involved in screening (notably health services) and ensuring clear pathways for vulnerability and health checks.
• Scaling mandatory screening for all irregular arrivals amid pressure on national services, while keeping safeguards and consistency.

The mood was pragmatic and constructive: these are implementation tasks, not roadblocks. Shared templates, targeted training and continued coordination, backed by EU agencies' support, are helping countries move from plans to practice, with several solutions already being piloted.

The message from Salvador Cuenca Curbelo, representing the Frontex Fundamental Rights Office (FRO), was clear: design in independent monitoring, accessible legal aid and child-specific safeguards from day one. A legal aspect to watch is how the 3-day (in-territory) and 7-day (border) screening limits interact with national detention law if courts view transit centres as detention; in such cases, domestic guarantees apply alongside EU timelines.

Preparations are underway for the performance of the required checks on third-country nationals, with the aim of ensuring the respect of fundamental rights. Member States are working to ensure the necessary resources are available to guarantee adequate capacity, that SOPs are approved in a timely manner to facilitate coordination between the different authorities and harmonised procedures.

The Agencies will continue to address the challenges identified by Member States that fall within their remit and where they can add value. The next step is to finalise the screening toolbox. This will be done in accordance with the Commission's guidance following the testing phase.

Read more about how Frontex is supporting the implementation of the Pact.