(VOVworld) - The European Union has raised concerns over the construction of a control area on Austria's border with Italy.

Refugees were queuing for food at a camp in northern village of Idomeni in Greece on April 9 (Photo: AFP/ VNA)

At a press conference on Tuesday, European Commission spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud said if these plans materialize, the EC will have to look at them very seriously because the Brenner pass is essential for freedom of movement within the European Union. Ms. Bertaud alluded to the passport-free Schengen zone, a symbol of European freedom and unity, which has come under threat of collapse with the reintroduction of border controls to stem a massive influx of refugees and other migrants. Bertaud said EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos will raise the issue with Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner.