We live in the Schengen area now
Posted: December 21st, 2007 | Author: Kari | Filed under: cool, Estonia, european union, travel | 1 Comment »Today is a historic date for Estonia as it joins the Schengen area. This means no more showing passports or ID cards or waiting at border crossings when going to other European Union countries (except UK and Ireland).
This event changes more than it seems to at first glance.
From the Commission press release:
Enlargement of the Schengen area: achieving the European goal of free movement of persons
As of 21st December 2007, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia will become part of the Schengen area. Controls at internal land and sea borders between these countries and the current 15 member states will be lifted. This will result in a very tangible expression of the free movement ideal: this latest enlargement extends the free movement area by 4,278 km.
Commission President José Manuel Barroso said “As from today people can travel hassle-free between 24 countries of the Schengen area without internal land and sea border controls- from Portugal to Poland and from Greece to Finland. I wish to congratulate the nine new Schengen members, the Portuguese presidency and all EU Member States for their efforts. Together we have overcome border controls as man-made obstacles to peace, freedom and unity in Europe, while creating the conditions for increased security”.
Vice-President, Franco Frattini, Commissioner responsible for Freedom, Justice, and Security declared: “An area of 24 countries without internal borders is a unique and historical achievement. I feel very proud and privileged to have been involved in making it happen. Joining the Schengen space is not an easy undertaking. I give enormous credit to these Member States. All the new member countries, who have put in place significant, state of the art border security systems. Indeed, the extension of Schengen demonstrates the EU’s commitment to facilitating legitimate travelling within and into the EU whilst at the same time reinforcing the security of our external borders and thereby strengthening the safety of all EU citizens “.
Following enlargement, all citizens of the enlarged Schengen space will benefit from quicker and easier travelling. From 21 December onwards, a citizen can travel from the Iberian Peninsula to the Baltic States and from Greece to Finland without border checks. This is symbolic of a united Europe and underlines the basic right of European citizens to move freely.
It will be easier for families, relatives and friends living on different sides of a border to visit each other. Eternal queues at (busy) border crossing points will no longer exist. Border regions will develop together as it will be easier to travel from one region to the other. An increase in tourism is expected, with a positive impact on infrastructure. Evidence of previous enlargements effectively demonstrates this: for instance, at the Salzburg/Berchtesgaden border citizens take advantage of infrastructure on each side of the border, including a large commercial centre at the Austrian side of the border, and a large health and fitness centre on the German side.
Lifting internal border control is also a question of trust between the Member States. It is through a rigorous peer evaluation process that Member States have ensured each member state is equipped to guard the external borders on behalf of all other members and issue visas valid for the whole Schengen area. The new Member States have worked tirelessly to improve, their handling of external border controls, visa policy, data protection and police cooperation.
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The checks on external borders remain the same as new Member States to the EU ha been applying the Schengen external border acquis since accession. The only difference will be that the new Member States will also check third country nationals in the Schengen Information System (SIS). Access to the SIS by police forces on both sides of the frontier will enhance and strengthen security at the borders.
For bona fide travellers, travels in an enlarged EU will be faster and easier. A third country national will be able to travel on the basis of one Schengen visa and will not need separate national visas.
The European Union is a forerunner to a Revived Roman Empire. What Hitler couldn’t achieve(because it wasn’t yet time), Europe has achieved unification through peace and some war(in the Balkans) for unification. Soon she will become a world power. The United States will no longer be a world power because she no longer is a God-fearing nation..as history has shown us decadent nations fall. America will no longer be the Liberator of nations as she once was half a century ago. In the next World War she will fall and will be dependent on Europe for help. Europe after the war will be a world power complete with a world Leader but only to last 7 years(shorter than Schicklegruber’s)In another war Israel will arise and become a world power without arms and will last a thousand years.