The regulation, however, goes further than a mere makeover, because it establishes a veritable Community Code governing the movement of persons across borders, not only relating to the external borders of the Union but also, as I said, with a component on the internal borders, since these two aspects are undeniably complementary.

This complex and substantial proposal has two main objectives: firstly, to consolidate the rules in force on the crossing of external borders, as laid down in the Schengen framework; secondly, to further develop the subject, particularly with regard to the crossing of internal borders.

Then, when trucks go across the border, about 3% of them are inspected across the border, because if they did every one the border would just close right down.

Mr. Hart referred to a number of things that must be undertaken here, like eliminating remaining restrictions on interprovincial trade in Canada; working with the U.S. to implement the thirty-point border agreement, and to implement it by June at the latest; simplifying the paperwork and the regulatory requirements for companies exporting and importing goods, as well as for bona fide travellers crossing the Canada-U.S. border; and lowering the costs and impediments of regulation more generally in Canada, largely by adopting mutual recognition agreements with the United States, with regulatory objectives that can be effectively met.

Indeed, it is an indispensable addition to proposals put forward by the Commission in December 1993 on the crossing of external frontiers, which provided for equivalence between residence permits issued by Member States and the mutual recognition of visas: in the absence of this Directive, an individual could cross an external frontier into a Member State if he possessed a visa or residence permit issued by another Member State but would not be able to cross an internal frontier on that basis.

While we're asking the Americans to be cooperative with us on the issue of visas for Canadians crossing their border, maybe it would facilitate business travel between country whatever, Canada and the United States.