New member states of the Schengen zone include Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and Malta. Today the states parties to the Schengen Agreement include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. The date for lifting internal border control for land and sea-borders is December 21, 2007 and for air borders - – March 30, 2008. As BelTA has been told in the European Commission in Brussels, a Schengen visa issued by a diplomatic mission of one of these countries is valid in all member-states. New member states will start issuing Schengen visas on 21 December 2007. The conditions will be the same as for the Schengen visas issued by the present Schengen member states. The EC officials further said that third-country nationals subject, from Belarus as well, has to apply for visas at the consulate of the Schengen state of his/her main destination (main reason for the visit or the longest visit in case of visiting more than one state). If the state of main destination cannot be determined (intention to make visits of equal length in different member states), the application has to be submitted to the consulate of the state of first entry. Third country nationals can travel with one Schengen visa within the whole Schengen area including new member states. The abolition of internal border checks does not affect the exercise of security checks on persons carried out at ports and airports, the EC noted. A Schengen visa for Belarusians will cost EUR 60. According to EC officials, in individual cases, the price may be reduced or waived in accordance with national law when this measure serves to promote cultural interests, in the field of foreign policy, development policy or other area of vital public interest. Fees are waived for children under six years, school pupils, post graduate students and accompanying teachers who undertake trips for the purpose of study or educational training and for researchers carrying out scientific research. No fees can be charged for third country nationals who are family members of an EU citizen or of a national of the European Economic Area Agreement. The European Commission underscored that national short-stay visa remains valid even after 21 December 2007; however, it will be valid only for stay in the territory of the member state which issued that visa. However, during a transitional period, until June 21, 2008 such a national short-stay visa issued by one of the member states joining the Schengen area allows for transit through the territory of the other member states joining the Schengen area, except for transits through the territory of Estonia and Lithuania. Answering a question concerning the upcoming introduction of biometric visas the EC officials said that the so called Visa Information System (VIS) which will store the biometric data of the applicants is not yet in function. After the adoption of the legal basis around the beginning of the next year, and after the implementation of the system by the Member States, the roll out of the VIS will take place on a regional basis that still has to be decided that time. (The embassy of France to Belarus is taking biometric data as pilot project. Biometric visas in Minsk are issued by the embassy of Great Britain, but this country is not part of the Schengen area and does not apply the Schengen visa rules).