Greece has one month to "establish an action plan to remedy the deficiencies... (and) within three months of the same date, it shall report on the implementation," one source said, after the recommendation was adopted by ministers.
"It is of utmost importance that Greece addresses the issues identified in the report adopted by the Commission as a matter of priority and urgency," EU ministers said in the recommendation that two EU sources said was adopted Friday.
The document, seen by AFP, gave Greece, which is already struggling to emerge from a massive debt crisis, one month to "establish an action plan to remedy the deficiencies."
If Greece fails to remedy the problems by mid-May, Brussels could authorize other member states to exceptionally extend border controls within the EU's cherished Schengen area, including with Greece, for up to two years, instead of the normal six months.
Such a scenario is outlined under article 26 of the Schengen border code.