Type: Report   Reference: I-056028   Duration: 00:02:55  Lieu:
End production: 20/12/2007   First transmission: 20/12/2007

As of 21 December 2007, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia became part of the Schengen area. Controls at internal land and sea borders between these countries and the 15 previous Member States were lifted. This resulted in a very tangible expression of the free movement ideal: this latest enlargement extended the free movement area by 4,278 km. On Estonia's Southern border with Latvia, customs personnel at the Ikla border post carried out their last border controls, as what used to be the biggest border control post on the Latvian border would be closing down under the Schengen agreement as from midnight.

Only the original language version is authentic and it prevails in the event of its differing from the translated versions.
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