How do the future external borders work?
EU controls on third country imports require a system of border inspection posts (BIPs) to be completed to EU standards at external borders with third countries. On this question the EU has made clear that no compromise concerning facilities or procedures would be possible. Only for the specific case of the temporary border between Hungary and Romania was a transitional period agreed. Currently there are some 283 EU Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) operated by national authorities. Most of these are ports and airports, others are road or rail links located in particular at the eastern borders of the Union. The accession of the 12 new Member States extends the eastern frontier with Russia and move the frontier eastwards to border with Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and Turkey. New BIPs equally have to be established along the borders with Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro and with Macedonia. At present some 51 BIPs in total are proposed by the 10 new Member States of 2004 to be ready by the time
