| 19 May 2007
Experts of the EU Member States re-visited Estonia 15-17 May to assess compliance of the Estonian border guards service’s land plot with Schengen requirements. The EU experts conducted new assessment of the future protection of the external Schengen border as well as border control in Narva. In March this year, a new border checkpoint in Narva started working, and the experts are going to verify its compliance with Schengen norms. To meet the wishes expressed in the assessment missions’ conclusions last year, infrastructure of Narva railway station and mobile facilities for border control in trains were improved. Last year, experts evaluated Estonia’s readiness for joining the Schengen legal space in data protection, police cooperation, protection of sea, land and air borders as well as consulates. In September this year, Estonia will undergo assessment of information system usage and re-assessment of Tallinn airport. The goal of the Schengen assessment missions is to verify how the Schengen requirements are met as well as to check if external border control is effective. As soon as the Schengen Treaty Convention takes effect any border control procedure will be terminated, and people will be able to move around Schengen countries with no need for border control. If the Schengen requirements are fully met, the first possible date for Estonia to join the Schengen legal space is 31 December 2007.
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