Brussels, 01/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - On 1 December in Brussels, MEPs approved the proposal to include the region of Kaliningrad and several Polish districts in the 2006 regulation on small-scale cross-border local traffic. This will mean that the Russian enclave will be considered as a border region of the EU. It will also mean that Poland can negotiate a bilateral agreement with Russia, so that people from the Kaliningrad border region can enter Poland without visas. This will encompass a border area between 30 or 50 km.
On 27 October, EU27 home affairs ministers approved the European Commission proposal to facilitate journeys for those living in the Kaliningrad enclave but indicated in a declaration that this agreement could not in any way constitute a precedent for other zones and regions. The European Parliament has accepted this cautionary note. (SP/transl.fl)