31.   Trade liberalisation has removed import licencing and quantitative restrictions on imports while fiscal reforms had abolished exchange controls, allowing investors to freely repatriate money, he said.

32.   Mandela subsequently underwent three days of intensive medical tests to prove he is in good health and the government moved quickly to deny it was abolishing exchange controls.

33.   London in fact managed to secure a unilateral declaration of its opposition to the principle of abolishing border controls early in EU negotiations.

34.   Netherlands Prime Minister Wim Kok said Friday he wanted to strengthen external border controls for countries in the Schengen group, which has abolished border controls between members.

35.   On Friday Austria will sign the Schengen agreement on abolishing border control within the European Union.

36.   The European Commission on Wednesday unveiled controversial proposals to abolish border controls between all EU states.

37.   The French president will also try to justify his attitude on application of the Schengen accords, which abolish frontier controls between seven European countries, Colonna said.

38.   The other six countries will abolish border controls among themselves on Saturday but step up identity checks on their external borders with third countries.