In order to bring the visa and border control system in line with Schengen area requirements, the EU allocated €77 million to Estonia under the Schengen Facility programme. With this money, before entering the Schengen area, Estonia plans to bring border checkpoints on the border with Russia up to European standards, purchase modern border equipment, including vehicles, watercraft and helicopters, update computer equipment and train specialists to work within the Schengen area. In total, 87 projects are to be implemented under the Schengen Facility by autumn next year. Estonia has already concluded contracts for the use of 31% of the funds allocated by the EU.
According to sociological surveys conducted in Estonia, the majority of the country's residents have a positive attitude towards the prospect of the country joining the Schengen area. This is especially approved by residents of regions bordering Latvia, for whom the entry of both countries into Schengen will mean a significant simplification of movement, because the Estonian-Latvian border will become formal. If now, for example, residents of the border-divided towns of Valga and Valka can visit their friends or relatives only by going through border checkpoints, then from 2007 they will be able to do so anywhere without presenting any documents. The situation is currently curious – the border regime hinders the normal life of the two towns, since after 1990 many residents have their home on one side of the border and their garden and shed on the other. The border has also divided the local cemetery.
The current Estonian-Latvian border causes quite a few problems for mushroom pickers, who quite often unintentionally cross the state border line. It also happens that domestic animals belonging to farmers living near the border run away across the border. The entry of the countries into the Schengen area should solve all these problems.
Along with Estonian citizens, after joining Schengen, all citizens of other countries permanently residing in the country, as well as stateless persons (non-citizens), will receive full freedom of movement within the area. For foreigners receiving an Estonian visa, entry to other Schengen Agreement countries will also be opened at the same time. In turn, holders of Schengen visas issued in other EU countries will be able to freely enter Estonia.
In setting conditions for Estonia's accession to Schengen, the European Commission demanded that the country resolve not only technical but also legal issues related to crossing the Estonian border. To this end, Estonia had to renounce territorial claims against Russia arising from the Tartu Peace Treaty of 1920, which is recognised in Estonia as one of the fundamental documents of the country's statehood. Let us recall that under this treaty, Estonia also owned parts of the territories of the current Leningrad and Pskov oblasts of the Russian Federation. Formally, the Estonian leadership fulfilled this requirement by declaring a renunciation of pre-war territories and signing new Estonian-Russian treaties on the land and sea border in Moscow on May 18, 2005. These treaties were then ratified by the Estonian parliament, simultaneously providing the ratification law with a political preamble containing indirect references to the Tartu Peace Treaty and "Soviet occupation". Despite the fact that in response Moscow announced the withdrawal of its signature from the border treaties, the European Commission fully accepted Estonia's actions, stating that the work done by Estonia removes all political obstacles to the country's accession to the Schengen area.
At the same time, the date for joining Schengen announced by the Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs may be pushed back to the future because of its neighbours. Even if European experts confirm Estonia's full readiness to join the Schengen area, Lithuania or Latvia may turn out to be unprepared for this. Moreover, the Baltic states have already declared their desire to enter the Schengen area only simultaneously. Particular concern in this regard is caused by Latvia, which is currently lagging far behind its neighbours in absorbing funds from the Schengen Facility programme. At the same time, the steps taken recently by the Latvian government to accelerate the implementation of the Schengen programme give hope that the Baltic states will approach the moment of readiness assessment by the European Commission in May-June of this year and April-September of next year more or less equally prepared.
The final results of the European Commission's checks will be presented by autumn 2007, and a final decision on the abolition of border control at the borders of the Baltic states within the Schengen area will also be made then.