Switzerland joins Schengen

http://www.deredactie.be/cm/de.redac...81127_schengen

Switzerland joins Schengen
(Belga)
Thu 27/11/08 14:48 - The European Union will lift its land borders
with Switzerland on Dec. 12. Travellers will be able to drive to and
from non-EU member Switzerland without showing their passports at its
land borders with EU states France, Italy, Austria and Germany.

Switzerland is the 25th country to scrap border controls in the
Schengen club of European states, which includes non-EU members Norway
and Iceland and covers an area of 3.6 million sq km (1.4 million sq
miles).

The EU plans to drop controls at airports for flights to and from
Switzerland on March 29, according to a draft document seen by Reuters
Press Agency. That date will be confirmed after a last visit to Swiss
airports by EU experts.

Britain and Ireland have chosen not to take part in the Schengen area.
Bulgaria and Romania do not yet fulfil all the security requirements
and Cyprus has asked for a delay before lifting its borders.

An example of what Schengen does:

Schengen countries use a database storing names of criminal suspects
and stolen cars for checks at their external borders.

"Miles Vaches" a écrit dans le message de
...
http://www.deredactie.be/cm/de.redac...81127_schengen

Switzerland joins Schengen
(Belga)
Thu 27/11/08 14:48 - The European Union will lift its land borders
with Switzerland on Dec. 12. Travellers will be able to drive to and
from non-EU member Switzerland without showing their passports at its
land borders with EU states France, Italy, Austria and Germany.

Switzerland is the 25th country to scrap border controls in the
Schengen club of European states, which includes non-EU members Norway
and Iceland and covers an area of 3.6 million sq km (1.4 million sq
miles).

The EU plans to drop controls at airports for flights to and from
Switzerland on March 29, according to a draft document seen by Reuters
Press Agency. That date will be confirmed after a last visit to Swiss
airports by EU experts.

Britain and Ireland have chosen not to take part in the Schengen area.
Bulgaria and Romania do not yet fulfil all the security requirements
and Cyprus has asked for a delay before lifting its borders.

An example of what Schengen does:

Schengen countries use a database storing names of criminal suspects
and stolen cars for checks at their external borders.

On 27 Nov, 16:34, Miles Vaches wrote:
http://www.deredactie.be/cm/de.redac...81127_schengen

Switzerland joins Schengen
(Belga)
Thu 27/11/08 14:48 - The European Union will lift its land borders
with Switzerland on Dec. 12. Travellers will be able to drive to and
from non-EU member Switzerland without showing their passports at its
land borders with EU states France, Italy, Austria and Germany.

Switzerland is the 25th country to scrap border controls in the
Schengen club of European states, which includes non-EU members Norway
and Iceland and covers an area of 3.6 million sq km (1.4 million sq
miles).

The EU plans to drop controls at airports for flights to and from
Switzerland on March 29, according to a draft document seen by Reuters
Press Agency. That date will be confirmed after a last visit to Swiss
airports by EU experts.

Britain and Ireland have chosen not to take part in the Schengen area.
Bulgaria and Romania do not yet fulfil all the security requirements
and Cyprus has asked for a delay before lifting its borders.

An example of what Schengen does:

Schengen countries use a database storing names of criminal suspects
and stolen cars for checks at their external borders.

sehr gut!

"Miles Vaches" wrote in message
...
http://www.deredactie.be/cm/de.redac...81127_schengen

Switzerland joins Schengen
(Belga)
Thu 27/11/08 14:48 - The European Union will lift its land borders
with Switzerland on Dec. 12. Travellers will be able to drive to and
from non-EU member Switzerland without showing their passports at its
land borders with EU states France, Italy, Austria and Germany.

Switzerland is the 25th country to scrap border controls in the
Schengen club of European states, which includes non-EU members Norway
and Iceland and covers an area of 3.6 million sq km (1.4 million sq
miles).

The EU plans to drop controls at airports for flights to and from
Switzerland on March 29, according to a draft document seen by Reuters
Press Agency. That date will be confirmed after a last visit to Swiss
airports by EU experts.

Britain and Ireland have chosen not to take part in the Schengen area.
Bulgaria and Romania do not yet fulfil all the security requirements
and Cyprus has asked for a delay before lifting its borders.

An example of what Schengen does:

Schengen countries use a database storing names of criminal suspects
and stolen cars for checks at their external borders.

What, no Liechtenstein?

"A Schengen expert group has approved the measures proposed by Switzerland
for border controls with Liechtenstein.
The fact that the principality is not yet part of the Schengen area will
cost Switzerland millions of francs. There is currently no border control on
the 41 kilometres that separate the two countries."

catalpa wrote:
"Miles Vaches" wrote in message
...
http://www.deredactie.be/cm/de.redac...81127_schengen

Switzerland joins Schengen
(Belga)
Thu 27/11/08 14:48 - The European Union will lift its land borders
with Switzerland on Dec. 12. Travellers will be able to drive to and
from non-EU member Switzerland without showing their passports at its
land borders with EU states France, Italy, Austria and Germany.

Switzerland is the 25th country to scrap border controls in the
Schengen club of European states, which includes non-EU members
Norway and Iceland and covers an area of 3.6 million sq km (1.4
million sq miles).

The EU plans to drop controls at airports for flights to and from
Switzerland on March 29, according to a draft document seen by
Reuters Press Agency. That date will be confirmed after a last visit
to Swiss airports by EU experts.

Britain and Ireland have chosen not to take part in the Schengen
area. Bulgaria and Romania do not yet fulfil all the security
requirements and Cyprus has asked for a delay before lifting its
borders. An example of what Schengen does:

Schengen countries use a database storing names of criminal suspects
and stolen cars for checks at their external borders.

What, no Liechtenstein?

"A Schengen expert group has approved the measures proposed by
Switzerland for border controls with Liechtenstein.
The fact that the principality is not yet part of the Schengen area
will cost Switzerland millions of francs. There is currently no
border control on the 41 kilometres that separate the two countries."

I suspect that that is to do with constraints placed on Switzerland to
stop the flow of physical values, suitcases full of money if you like,
being able to flow freely into that tax haven from anywhere else in
Schengen.

Miles Vaches wrote:

Thu 27/11/08 14:48 - The European Union will lift its land borders
with Switzerland on Dec. 12. Travellers will be able to drive to and
from non-EU member Switzerland without showing their passports at its
land borders with EU states France, Italy, Austria and Germany.


I guess that you will be stopped anyway at land borders on highways to
check if your car has the highway tax sticker.

--
Luca Logi - Firenze - Italy e-mail:
Home page: http://www.angelfire.com/ar/archivarius
(musicologia pratica)

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:45:10 +0000, Luca Logi wrote
(in article ):

Miles Vaches wrote:

Thu 27/11/08 14:48 - The European Union will lift its land borders
with Switzerland on Dec. 12. Travellers will be able to drive to and
from non-EU member Switzerland without showing their passports at its
land borders with EU states France, Italy, Austria and Germany.


I guess that you will be stopped anyway at land borders on highways to
check if your car has the highway tax sticker.



No you won't. They only check for Motorway vignettes when you are actually on
the motorway. If you don't use any motorways you don't have to pay the tax.

--
Mike Lane
UK North Yorkshire

Mike Lane wrote:

No you won't. They only check for Motorway vignettes when you are actually on
the motorway. If you don't use any motorways you don't have to pay the tax.


When you enter Switzerland from Italy at Brogeda border point on
motorway now, there is a (mostly perfuntory) passport check point, then
traffic is divided in two lanes: those who already have the vignette
pass without delay, those without the vignette must buy it on the spot
as they are already on the motorway. I guess the passport control will
be no more staffed, but I guess the vignette control will stay in place.

Also, custom controls are quite strict, especially for Swiss citizens. I
heard more than one Swiss friend complaining they were stopped going
back after shopping in Italy and being told they had to pay duty as they
bought too many food items. I guess also this will stay in place.

If you pass from a border point on ordinary roads now, vignettes are not
checked, but chances are the custom control may be stricter than on the
motorway border.

In the opposite direction, Italian custom officers are mainly interested
in checking undeclared currency movements - when bringing more than
10000 eur in cash out or in a EU state, you must declare the money in
writing. Also this is likely going to stay.

--
Luca Logi - Firenze - Italy e-mail:
Home page: http://www.angelfire.com/ar/archivarius
(musicologia pratica)

Mike Lane wrote:
On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:45:10 +0000, Luca Logi wrote
(in article ):

Miles Vaches wrote:

Thu 27/11/08 14:48 - The European Union will lift its land borders
with Switzerland on Dec. 12. Travellers will be able to drive to and
from non-EU member Switzerland without showing their passports at its
land borders with EU states France, Italy, Austria and Germany.

I guess that you will be stopped anyway at land borders on highways to
check if your car has the highway tax sticker.



No you won't. They only check for Motorway vignettes when you are actually on
the motorway. If you don't use any motorways you don't have to pay the tax.

That's the situation already. But some significant land crossings (eg, the
one from the German A5 autobahn just north of Basel) are actually on motorways.

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 20:42:38 +0000, JNugent wrote
(in article ):

Mike Lane wrote:
On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:45:10 +0000, Luca Logi wrote
(in article ):

Miles Vaches wrote:

Thu 27/11/08 14:48 - The European Union will lift its land borders
with Switzerland on Dec. 12. Travellers will be able to drive to and
from non-EU member Switzerland without showing their passports at its
land borders with EU states France, Italy, Austria and Germany.

I guess that you will be stopped anyway at land borders on highways to
check if your car has the highway tax sticker.



No you won't. They only check for Motorway vignettes when you are actually
on
the motorway. If you don't use any motorways you don't have to pay the tax.

That's the situation already. But some significant land crossings (eg, the
one from the German A5 autobahn just north of Basel) are actually on
motorways.

Obviously if you're already on a motorway when you enter Switzerland they
will check if you have paid the tax for a vignette and are therefore entitled
to drive on the Swiss motorways. But if you're not on a motorway they won't.

--
Mike Lane
UK North Yorkshire