Poland to join Schengen zone on January 1, 2008 :: Charter'97 :: News

The law on the participation of the Republic of Poland in the Schengen Information System (SIS) and Visa Information System elaborated by the Polish Government completes the process of country’s preparation for joining the zone.

As the press-service of the Chancellery of Poland’s Council of Ministers chairperson reported, “Poland enters the system and enjoys its privileges starting from January 1, 2008.”

The process of Poland’s entering the SIS is split in two stages: from September 1, 2007 Poland is to participate in digital information exchange within the Schengen zone, emphasized Interior Minister Janusz Kaczmarek. The second stage, according to the press-service’s report, is to be timed to abolition of interior frontiers: “the control on the Polish interior frontiers is to be abolished on January 1, 2008; the air control is to be abolished on March 1, 2008.”

The Schengen treaty is an international agreement that eliminates control at the interior frontiers of the European Union members. EU citizens and all those who cross the EU interior frontiers where the treaty functions enjoy the freedom of movement.

As for now, the following countries share membership in the Schengen treaty: Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Greece, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. Island and Norway also belong to the Schengen zone.