The EU celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Schengen Area
| 11 June 2010 On June 14 the European Union celebrates the 25 anniversary of the Schengen Agreement providing for a gradual abolishment of controls at the common borders. The Schengen agreement was signed on the 14 June 1985 by Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The agreement, and the subsequent convention adopted in 1990 to implement it agreed to abolish systematic border controls between the countries, allowing free movement of persons. With the entry into force of the Amsterdam Treaty in 1999, the Schengen cooperation was integrated into the EU legal and institutional framework. The Schengen area without border controls currently consists of 25 Schengen Member States i.e. the EU countries Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia as well as the three associated non EU countries, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus only partially apply the Schengen acquis at the moment and checks are therefore still carried out at the borders with these three Member States. The free movement is guaranteed on a territory with 42,673 km of external sea and 7,721 km of land borders, covering 25 countries and 400 million citizens. The Schengen Convention abolished checks at the internal borders of the signatory states and created a single external border with common rules on external border controls, a common visa policy, police and judicial cooperation and the establishment of the Schengen Information System (SIS). Schengen also inspired to look to a future of common policies protecting our collective security. It drove collective action against criminal activity with EU police and judicial cooperation policies such as information exchange systems, agencies like Frontex, Europol and Eurojust. Financial solidarity has also taken a concrete form through the External Borders Fund. The freedom of movement between national borders and the abolition of controls at internal frontiers is fundamental for the development of the internal market. For more information Homepage of Cecilia Malmström, Commissioner for Home Affairs: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/malmstrom/welcome/default_en.htm Justice and Home Affairs Newsroom: http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/news/intro/news_intro_en.htm |
