So 2008 is underway, and already we are seeing changes in the border situations of Europe. The extension of the Schengen system last month means that you can drive from Lisbon to Tallinn without showing your passport, and this can only be good news for improving cross-border co-operation possibilities - especially for divided border towns such as Gorizia/Nova Gorica, Valka/Valga (http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=35818§ionid=351020605), Komárno/Komárom and Slubice/Frankfurt-an-der-Oder to name but a few.
But what of those twin towns along the outside edge of the Union? What of Narva/Ivangorod? What of Imatra/Svetogorsk (http://tinyurl.com/yomn9k)? Here visas and border checks will remain the norm and these added complications and hindrances to co-operation are likely to be in place for the foreseeable future. This should always be borne in mind when assessing the success of co-operation activities in these areas.
