The collective name for those countries that are party to the Schengen Agreement, which allows for uncontrolled cross-border movement of people between its members. The agreement was ratified in 1985 and came into force in 1995. The area now includes 26 countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.