Switzerland set to join Schengen area

Flying to Switzerland or driving across the Swiss Alps will soon become easier as the EU plans to approve Switzerland's entry into its Schengen area next month.

EU Council sources told The Times the Alpine country was likely to join Europe's border-free zone from December 12. Following a technical meeting with EU countries in the Schengen area, including Malta, the Swiss director of the justice office, Luzius Mader, said his country was technically ready and he did not believe there were any political obstacles to overcome.

An EU advisory council will take a final decision at the end the month - its approval must be unanimous for Switzerland to join Schengen.

The Schengen accord, which Malta joined at the end of 2007, abolishes systematic controls on individuals within its zone of application and increases cooperation in the fight against cross-border crime.

As in Malta's case, Switzerland's entry into the Schengen area will be carried out in two phases. While terrestrial borders will be dismantled on December 12, air transport will remain subject to passport controls until new flight timetables are introduced by the end of March. Air Malta currently operates direct flights to Zurich and Geneva.

Switzerland will be the 25th European country to join the Schengen Treaty. All EU countries except the UK, Ireland, Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus are members of the border-free area. Iceland and Norway also form part of the treaty.