Nine countries ready to join Schengen

Nine countries will join the Schengen Agreement on December 21st: Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia (i.e. 9 of the 10 countries that joined the EU in 2004).
Officials in Brussels decided that all nine countires are ready to join the zone, but they need to maintain a high level of security and to strictly and efficiently meet the Schengen area’s requirements at all times.
Eighteen interior ministers of current and upcoming member states of the Schengen zone met in Prague to debate how all Schengen members adopt an upgraded version of the zone’s information system - a key requirement for the expansion.
All current and future Schengen members have been connected to the system, through which since Aug 31 they have been sharing information such as data on missing or wanted people.