France & Holland suspend Schengen Agreement

From the on-line edition of the Italian newspaper La Repubblica :

16:55 Francia e Olanda sospendono Schengen
La Francia e l'Olanda hanno deciso di rafforzare i controlli alle proprie frontiere, sospendendo temporaneamente gli accordi di Schengen sulla libera circolazione dei cittadini europei. La decisione della Francia è stata annunciata dal ministro degli Interni, Nicolas Sarkozy, in una breve conferenza stampa a margine del Consiglio europeo Giustizia e Affari interni. "Il Trattato di Schengen prevede in circostanze molto precise la possibilità di rafforzare i controlli alle frontiere", ha detto Sarkozy. "Mi sembra che la situazione creata dopo gli attentati di Londra rientri in queste circostanze", ha aggiunto il ministro.


Trans: France and Holland have decided to reinstitute controls at their own borders, temporarily suspending the Schengen Agreements on free passage of European citizens. The French decision was announced by the Interior Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, in a brief press conference outside the European Council for Justice and Internal Affairs. "The Schengen Treaty allows for the reinstitution of border controls in very precise terms," said Sarkozy. "It seems to me that the current situation, following the London bombings, falls into this category."

Although this headline mentions just France and Holland, another headline also mentions Spain. The Italian Government, according to media reports earlier, is also considering, as a matter of urgency, whether to follow France's example.

Do I hear the sound of stable doors, or pennies dropping?

 

Both.

 

Probably, but whilst you're showing off your Italian skills.....................how do I ask an Italian chick if she put's out?

 

The Italians and a few other EU countries have suspended before, usually when a large international event (for example-G8, NATO Munich Security Conference, or big football match involving zee crazy Breetish was on.

 

Best bet is to offer her a 'Prosecco' or Spumante, leer in best military style and if she doesn't slap you or her boyfriend (who did his national service in the Carabinieri Paras) doesn't rearrange your face, then you have your answer - more or less! Does that help?

 

I may be wrong, but from reports here on these occasions, I don't recall any mention of Schengen being formally suspended - just that Law Enforcement (and as you know Italy has a multitude of agencies) has been carrying out checks once people are inside the country - albeit by a 100m or so.

 

German customs and Border Police also do spot checks along the borders. E.g. at the German -Dutch border they check for drugs and at he German-Luxembourg border they check for German tax evaders, smuggling cash money in and out of their illegal Luxembourg accounts.

Jan

 

I went to Ireland for a couple of days this week. On leaving the UK and arrival in Ireland there was a passport check, but not on arrival back into the UK.

 

Same thing last year. Went over to Dublin for a day trip. Mrs T isn't an EU citizen and didn't have a Schengen visa but, after a bit of 'umming-and-'aahing, the Irish custom officers (good blokes) said "Oh, alright, you can come in. Just behoive yerselves"

Came back to the UK that night; no check whatsoever; hundred-or-so passengers just got straight off the boat and into the car park.

Top security!

 

Hmm....a funny one, as there is no passport control between UK and RoI. Think this stems both from the funny relationship between the two (e.g. Irish citizens have always been allowed to vote in UK parliamentary elections - unusual to grant this right to foreign citizens!) and from the fact that post Anglo-Irish agreement it would have been an unenforceable nonsense as NI residents have the option to take either passport. The border on the A1 is now hard to find even if you are looking for it (it's where the line at the edge of the carriageway turns yellow).

Hence I never take my passport of Ireland, just my driving licence. For the first time, I got held up for 30 seconds by the Garda rather than waved through, so while there was a passport control you didn't need one. I guess it is to try and stem the tide of illegals - ? He did want to check with me that my town of birth shown on the licence was indeed in England though!

 

In the late 1990s I lived and worked in Ireland (the Republic). One day I had to go to Cambridge for a job interview. On my way back to Stansted to catch the plane back to Shannon, my passport got stolen. All my paperwork was in my room in Shannon, but I still had my Shannon airport bage and my German driving licence in my wallet. This was enough ID for the Irish immigration officer in Shannon airport to let me pass.

Jan