A total of 22 EU countries are fully participating in the Schengen cooperation. In addition to these EU countries, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland are also participating.
The practical part of Schengen cooperation, which among other things involves the abolition of border controls at internal borders, has therefore been implemented in 25 countries: Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Greece, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta and the non-EU countries Norway, Iceland and Switzerland.
Great Britain and Ireland are only participating in certain parts of the Schengen cooperation, i.e. the police cooperation and judicial cooperation concerning criminal cases, the combating of drugs and the establishment of the information system (SIS).
New EU countries and Schengen
The Schengen rules are binding for the new Member States from the accession date. However, only some of the rules will apply to the new Member States from this date, including those concerning a standard visa.
The provisions concerning the abolition of border controls between the old Schengen countries and new EU countries do not yet apply for Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria. This means that the EU’s common external border controls will for the time being continue to take place at, for example, the Hungarian-Romanian border.
In order for border controls to be abolished, the Council must, after consulting the European Parliament on the matter, unanimously approve the abolition once it has been ensured that the necessary conditions for implementation of all the relevant rules in the new Member State have been met.
To enable new EU countries to implement all the Schengen rules, including those concerning controls at the EU’s external borders, funding has been allocated to assist their preparations for participation in Schengen.
This funding can among other things go towards investment in the construction, renovation or improvement of infrastructure and buildings at cross-border points, operating equipment (laboratory equipment, detection equipment, hardware and software for the SIS), training of border guards, etc.|
The Faeroes and Greenland are self-governing parts of the State of Denmark, but are not covered by Danish membership of the EU and the obligations that Denmark has accepted in relation to the EU. Unlike Norway and Iceland, the Faeroes and Greenland have not entered into cooperation with the EU concerning Schengen. However, the Danish accession agreement for Schengen cooperation contains a provision, according to which Denmark undertakes to allow the Danish police to carry out effective border controls at Faeroese and Greenlandic borders with countries outside the Schengen cooperation, e.g. Canada, so that freedom to travel between Denmark and the rest of the Kingdom can be maintained. The Faeroes and Greenland are therefore also participating in Scandinavian cooperation concerning travel and passport freedom, without actually participating in Schengen cooperation. |
Sidst opdateret: 24-07-2008 - MJ