| 11 June 2010 "Twenty-five years ago today, five EU countries – Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands – began the process of further deepening European integration by removing border controls through the Schengen Agreement. As a result of the subsequent expansion of the Schengen Area, seamless, passport-free travel is now enjoyed by over 400 million Europeans. Schengen has become one of the most powerful symbols of the EU's capacity to improve the lives of its citizens. By facilitating travel, tourism and commerce, it has fostered integration and removed obstacles to peace and freedom in Europe. It has also touched many of our lives. When I was growing up in Gothenburg, catching a ferry to Denmark was about as far as I could go without a passport. Now Swedes can drive over the Öresund Bridge and carry on all the way to southern Italy! But this freedom to travel must also be accompanied by enhanced responsibilities. The last 25 years has seen the end of the Cold War and the onset of a new phase of openness and globalisation. This has brought many new opportunities to a great many people, but it has also lead to new threats - from organised crime to international terrorist activity. The European Union therefore needs an effective cooperation between law enforcement authorities to fight serious crime. The Stockholm Agenda is the EU's list of priority actions for which I have responsibility and which has the overall aim of ensuring the safety of our citizens in full respect of their fundamental rights and freedoms. The Schengen area has rapidly grown geographically in the last decade and now includes 25 countries, and this growth has been matched by a deepening of cooperation and solidarity. The EU agency Frontex assists Member States so that the common Schengen borders are managed properly and the European Commission have proposed to boost its capacities. A Common Visa Code has also been fully implemented. Each member of the Schengen area takes responsibility for controlling the external borders on behalf of the other Schengen countries and issues uniform Schengen visas; they cooperate efficiently with each other's police authorities, in order to maintain a high level of security behind the common external border. The founders of Schengen taught us to look forward and to aim high. So let's celebrate their achievements and use them as a springboard to further enhance the freedom and security of European citizens in the years to come."
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