Shengen area to open on 21 December

The passport and customs controls at the borders between the new and the old EU member states will be abolished on the 21st December, two weeks before the original date, the Portuguese EU presidency announced in Brussels on Thursday. The Shengen area will open to nine new EU states, including Czech Republic and Slovakia. According to the Interior Ministry, the Czech Republic is prepared for the upcoming integration into the Shengen area and doesn't have problems with the earlier date.

Author: Ruth Fraňková