Malta hosts ministerial meeting on Schengen
While Malta will remain an island, it will be less insular - Tonio Borg
Twelve European ministers, including nine whose countries will be joining the European Union's Schengen area, yesterday met in Malta "to compare notes and share experiences" ahead of the EU Council meeting in November which should give the go-ahead for Schengen's expansion.
The 1985 Schengen Agreement is an agreement among European states which allows for the abolition of systematic border controls between the participating countries. It also includes provisions on common policy on the temporary entry of persons (including the Schengen Visa), the harmonisation of external border controls, and cross-border police cooperation.
A total of 30 states - including most European Union states and three non-EU members Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland - have signed the agreement and 15 have implemented it so far. The Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom only take part in the police cooperation measures and not the common border control and visa provisions.
Like the adoption of the euro, the new member states do not have an option but to adopt it, but countries have to meet certain criteria. Cyprus, because of the problems it has with the Turkish occupation of the north of the island, will be joining the Schengen area next year.
Schengen allows people from the member states to be able to travel to any other country within the area without the use of passports. Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said Schengen would strengthen the EU because of the amount of information sharing and the Schengen visa would give people absolute freedom of movement throughout the Schengen area.
"While Malta will remain an island, it will be less insular," Dr Borg said.
The next Schengen expansion will come into effect in two phases. Passport control at land and sea will disappear by the end of the year while such control at airports will be removed in March.
As most visitors come to Malta by air, the full impact of the Schengen system will be only felt then, Dr Borg said.
José Magalhaes, the Portuguese Assistant Minister of Interior, who was in Malta representing the Portuguese EU presidency, said that, from the technological point of view, Schengen was "a major achievement" but it was more important from the political point of view.
The ministers issued a joint declaration reaffirming their willingness to continue extending mutual collaboration regarding future Schengen-related commitments.
The ministers represented at yesterday's meeting came from Malta, The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, which are to join Schengen at the end of the year, Portugal, representing the EU presidency, Germany and Switzerland.