The area without internal borders — the Schengen area — was developed within an intergovernmental framework in the late 1980s and beginning of the 1990s by Member States willing to abolish internal border controls.
Sisepiirideta Schengeni ala arendasid 1980. aastate lõpus ja 1990. aastate alguses valitsustevahelise raamistiku alusel välja liikmesriigid, kes soovisid kaotada kontrolli sisepiiridel.