In times of sovereignty and "Italians first" it can make an impression, but they are gone now 29 years from the day Italy signed the Schengen Convention, the treaty that defines the conditions for applying the Schengen Agreement on free movement initially signed in 1985 between France, Germany and the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg).
The same five countries (founders, together with Italy, of the European Community) had signed the Convention on 19 June 1990 and Rome did the same on 27 November, undertaking to allow the free transit of EU citizens. To put the signature in the name of the Italian government was Claudius MartelliDeputy Prime Minister at the time.
They were added to the list of member countries in the following years Spain e Portugal (1991) Greece (1992) Austria (1995) Denmark, Finland e Sweden (1996).
However, the signing of the Convention did not coincide in any country with the entry into force of the new rules on free movement, which was gradual, to give individual states time to satisfy a series of regulatory and technical requirements imposed by the treaty itself. The first five signatory countries, plus Portugal and Spain, opened their common borders in 1995, while Italy was added only starting from 26 October 1997.
Today it Schengen area (also called Schengen Area or Schengen Zone) includes everything 26 European states. They are part of the group 22 of the 28 members of the European Union: Ireland and Great Britain remain outside, which have never signed the Convention (London, moreover, is also leaving the EU), but also Cyprus, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria, which have signed but are still awaiting entry in effect. The non-EU states participating in Schengen are Iceland, Norway, Switzerland e Liechtenstein.
