Polish-German boundary on the eve of the Schengen Agreement

Abstract

Polish accession to the Schengen Agreement and abolition of border control within EU countries on 21st December 2007, is a good occasion to summarize the role of boundaries in the period directly preceding the revolutionary changes that took place on EU internal borders of Poland. In the paper author analyses one out of four land borders encompassed by the Schengen Agreement, namely the western border with Germany. Remaining sections of land borders, where abolition of border control took place at the same time, are: south-western border (with the Czech Republic), southeastern border (with Slovakia) and north-eastern border (with Lithuania). Also, however to some extent only, the sea and airports border control was cancelled (only for cruises and flights to signatory countries of the Schengen Agreement).