Brussels, 08/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 7 March, the Council of Ministers adopted, without debate, the decision on the accession of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the Schengen area, bringing to an end a procedure that has lasted several years. Liechtenstein thus becomes the 26th country - and the fourth non-EU member state - to join the European passport-free area. Given the time it will take to carry out the “necessary checks”, it will, however, be six to ten months before the Schengen Convention applies and border checks disappear, a diplomat, quoted by AFP, said. Also on Monday, Liechtenstein joined the European procedure on establishing criteria and mechanisms for defining the member state responsible for handling asylum requests in EU countries and Switzerland. (S.P./transl.rt)