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In the context of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Schengen Agreements was commemorated on 2 June 2005 in the presence of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, members of the JHA Council and the European Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security.
The solemn meeting was held in Schengen, the Luxembourg village where in June 1985 the agreement was signed in 1985. The document provided for the progressive realisation of the free movement of persons within the "Schengen area".
During his speech, the current President of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, Luc Frieden, stated that "the Schengen agreements eliminated borders, established the free movement of persons and introduced judicial and police cooperation within the EU. They are an instrument of peace and dialogue between European citizens and third country nationals living in Europe.
For us, Schengen stands for freedom, security and European success: above all, freedom; because their main objective was to eliminate borders. However, we are aware that additional measures must be taken in order to guarantee security. Therefore, application of the Schengen agreements provides for a strengthening of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters and with regard to the policy on visas and immigration. Together, we aim to strengthen this freedom and security in order to build a safer Europe."
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