myguideTravel Blog

The Iron curtain finally comes down

December 20th, 2007

Tonight, we will witness one of the final acts in the tearing down of the Iron Curtain. As from midnight, people will be able to travel through 24 European Union member states countries without showing a passport. This is due to the expansion of the EU’s Schengen Agreement to include nine mostly former Communist states. These include

• Czech Republic
• Estonia
• Hungary
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Malta
• Poland
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• 

The current passport-free zone created in 1990 currently includes 13 countries. From tonight it will cover an area about 1/3rd the size of the United States. However, that area is home to over 400 million people. Over the next four years the following countries are also due to join the Schengen area

• Switzerland
• Lichtenstein
• Cyprus
• Bulgaria
• Romania

Note:

The UK and Ireland are not part of the Schengen area. The two countries have a Common Travel Area with no border controls. Ireland is therefore unable to join the agreement without dissolving this agreement with the UK. This would be an enormous step backwards for people in border counties like Co. Monaghan.

Entry Filed under: Travel