Press Release: The European Union adopts concrete measures to facilitate the life of those third-country nationals residing close to European borders

On 5 October 2006 the Council adopted a Regulation laying down rules on "local border traffic" at the external land borders of the Member States, i.e. the crossing of borders by nationals of third countries who live in border areas and regularly travel for legitimate reasons (for instance, on social, cultural or economic grounds) to a Member State of the Union without constituting a threat to security or public order. In 2003 the European Commission put forward a proposal for this legislation, in order to facilitate local movement at the land borders between Member States and neighbouring third countries.