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| Europe's border-free zone expands | Europe's border-free zone expands |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Forty-eight hours of celebrations are taking place to mark nine new states joining a European border-free zone. | Forty-eight hours of celebrations are taking place to mark nine new states joining a European border-free zone. |
| The Schengen agreement, which allows passport-free travel across the area, now embraces 24 nations. | The Schengen agreement, which allows passport-free travel across the area, now embraces 24 nations. |
| Some 2,000 people celebrated in the town of Frankfurt on Oder at Germany's border with Poland, amid fireworks and the EU anthem, Beethoven's Ode to Joy. | Some 2,000 people celebrated in the town of Frankfurt on Oder at Germany's border with Poland, amid fireworks and the EU anthem, Beethoven's Ode to Joy. |
| The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia joined the zone. | The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia joined the zone. |
| See map of Schengen area | See map of Schengen area |
| Speaking in Zittau, close to where Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic meet, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was a "truly historic moment". | Speaking in Zittau, close to where Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic meet, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was a "truly historic moment". |
| Mrs Merkel was joined by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, his Czech counterpart Mirek Topolanek and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. | Mrs Merkel was joined by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, his Czech counterpart Mirek Topolanek and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. |
| Crime wave fears | Crime wave fears |
| On Thursday a checkpoint between Austria and Slovakia was dismantled in one of several events marking the enlargement from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic. | On Thursday a checkpoint between Austria and Slovakia was dismantled in one of several events marking the enlargement from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic. |
| From midnight tonight you can travel 4,000km from Tallinn in Estonia to Lisbon in Portugal without any border controls Slovak PM Robert Fico New border security fearsIn pictures: Border-free EU class="" href="/1/hi/talking_point/7155829.stm">Schengen: Your views | |
| Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer sawed through a barrier at the Berg border crossing. | Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer sawed through a barrier at the Berg border crossing. |
| Mr Fico said: "From midnight tonight you can travel 4,000km (2,485 miles) from Tallinn in Estonia to Lisbon in Portugal without any border controls." | Mr Fico said: "From midnight tonight you can travel 4,000km (2,485 miles) from Tallinn in Estonia to Lisbon in Portugal without any border controls." |
| Mr Gusenbauer welcomed the extension of the Schengen zone, rejecting fears that it might create a crime wave in Austria. | Mr Gusenbauer welcomed the extension of the Schengen zone, rejecting fears that it might create a crime wave in Austria. |
| The European Commission says that one billion euros (£720m) has been spent on beefing up security on the new EU frontiers, including the establishing of missions along the Polish and Slovak borders. | The European Commission says that one billion euros (£720m) has been spent on beefing up security on the new EU frontiers, including the establishing of missions along the Polish and Slovak borders. |
| Initially the lifting of internal controls involves just land and sea borders, but that will be extended to airports at the end of March 2008. | Initially the lifting of internal controls involves just land and sea borders, but that will be extended to airports at the end of March 2008. |
| Vast database | Vast database |
| Although the enlargement allows passport-free transit throughout the area, travellers can be asked to carry documents by any of the countries concerned. | Although the enlargement allows passport-free transit throughout the area, travellers can be asked to carry documents by any of the countries concerned. |
| For non-EU nationals, a Schengen visa allows travel across all the participating countries. | For non-EU nationals, a Schengen visa allows travel across all the participating countries. |
| Thirteen existing EU states have already been part of the Schengen accord as well as two non-EU countries, Norway and Iceland. | Thirteen existing EU states have already been part of the Schengen accord as well as two non-EU countries, Norway and Iceland. |
| The UK and Ireland are not involved in the zone - which embraces 400m people - but they have signed up to agreements on security. | The UK and Ireland are not involved in the zone - which embraces 400m people - but they have signed up to agreements on security. |
| A significant element of the Schengen agreement is the Schengen Information Service (SIS) which features an enormous database in the French city of Strasbourg. | A significant element of the Schengen agreement is the Schengen Information Service (SIS) which features an enormous database in the French city of Strasbourg. |
| The SIS database enables police in any Schengen state to find out whether a suspect has been involved in any kind of crime across the EU. | The SIS database enables police in any Schengen state to find out whether a suspect has been involved in any kind of crime across the EU. |
| Return to top | Return to top |