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| Ceremony marks extended EU border | Ceremony marks extended EU border |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A checkpoint between Austria and Slovakia has been dismantled in a symbolic ceremony marking the enlargement of the Schengen area. | A checkpoint between Austria and Slovakia has been dismantled in a symbolic ceremony marking the enlargement of the Schengen area. |
| 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. |
| At midnight, nine new countries will join the pact, bringing an end to border controls from Estonia to Malta. | At midnight, nine new countries will join the pact, bringing an end to border controls from Estonia to Malta. |
| Celebrations are due to take place in all the countries involved. | Celebrations are due to take place in all the countries involved. |
| See map of Schengen area | See map of Schengen area |
| As well as Slovakia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic are also becoming part of the Schengen zone. | As well as Slovakia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic are also becoming part of the Schengen zone. |
| From midnight tonight you can travel 4,000 kilometres from Tallinn in Estonia to Lisbon in Portugal without any border controls." Robert Fico, Slovak Prime Minister class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7154324.stm">In pictures: Border-free EU | |
| Initially, the lifting of internal controls will involve land and sea borders but that will be extended to airports at the end of March 2008. | Initially, the lifting of internal controls will involve land and sea borders but that will be extended to airports at the end of March 2008. |
| 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. |
| He said it would bring "an expansion of the zone of safety and stability in Europe" which would be of direct benefit to Austria. | He said it would bring "an expansion of the zone of safety and stability in Europe" which would be of direct benefit to Austria. |
| Not only would Austria be safer, but it would also "lie much more in the heart of Europe than it has in the past". | Not only would Austria be safer, but it would also "lie much more in the heart of Europe than it has in the past". |
| The European Commission says that a billion euros (£720m) has been spent on beefing up security on the new EU frontiers which include missions along the Polish and Slovak borders. | The European Commission says that a billion euros (£720m) has been spent on beefing up security on the new EU frontiers which include missions along the Polish and Slovak borders. |
| Mr Fico said: "From midnight tonight you can travel 4,000 kilometres (2,485 miles) from Tallinn in Estonia to Lisbon in Portugal without any border controls." | Mr Fico said: "From midnight tonight you can travel 4,000 kilometres (2,485 miles) from Tallinn in Estonia to Lisbon in Portugal without any border controls." |
| Passport-free | Passport-free |
| The enlargement will allow passport-free travel across 24 European states, although travellers can be asked to carry documents by any of the countries concerned. | The enlargement will allow passport-free travel across 24 European states, although 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 passport-free zone but they have signed up to agreements on security. | The UK and Ireland are not involved in the passport-free zone 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 |