Switzerland signs Schengen Treaty

[aethelbert]

With having to go between EU states and Swiss cities a lot, this is certainly welcome.

Switzerland, right in the heart of Europe, but not in the European Union, is opening its borders to EU member states. Under the Schengen Agreement, which Switzerland is joining, cross-border passport checks will be abolished.
The move is the latest in a long and complex series of bilateral agreements which the Swiss government has negotiated with Brussels, in order not to be isolated within Europe's powerful trade zone.

But the Swiss people have regularly indicated that they do not want their country to join the EU, so getting their agreement on something as sensitive as opening national borders was not easy.
"There was a highly controversial public debate," admits Urs Bucher, head of Switzerland's office of European Integration.
"Some people feared we would be opening our borders to criminals, and to thousands of illegal immigrants, but we are convinced this won't happen."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7778022.stm

 

[John Jacob]

Good job. Now if only the UK would do the same thing.

 

[remmy]

You already don't have your passport checked if your going by boat across the channel. Every time I've been to other than aeroplane to Switzerland they haven't checked either.

 

[OutThere]

My Swiss passport is only getting better.

 

[aethelbert]

Good job. Now if only the UK would do the same thing.

Well if the UK did that, then there wouldn't be quite as many queuing opportunities. We wouldn't want to dissolve a highlight of British culture now, would we?