Covers from the Czech Republic

On the 4-th and 5-th of May I got 2 letters with the nice stamps on them. They are devoted exactly to the topics I love: politics and the Olympiad. Let's speak about the first one.
The first stamp is devoted to the Czech entering the Shengen zone. It's a very important event to any countries since it takes away all the barriers on the free travelling which really makes people's life better. Hopefully one day Russia also will get the visa free regime with the EU and it will be the same easy to travell all around the European contenent.
The second stamp is devoted to the Czech presidency in the EU Council. Well, it wasn't that unequivocal, but still it's a very important period for the Czech Republic and I do hope that it has led to some useful consequences for that country! Undobtedly this event deserves to be signed by a stamp and it's a very valuable one for me! Dekuji, Milan!

Czech Republic will become a part of the Schengen area on 21st December 2007, when the custom controls on terrestrial borders will be abolished, and at the end of March 2008 also on international airports on flights in Schengen area.
The stamp shows the logo of Czech Republic entry to the Schengen area created by the traffic lights with three green signal lights and the Czech text “THROUGH EUROPE BY FREE WAY” placed on the background of the sky. The stamp is completed by the text “THE SCHENGEN AREA” in the Czech language.


Presidency of the Council of the European Union is held for a 6 months' term, always by one of the member countries, in a set order. The Czech Republic will hold this office from January to June 2009. The presidency has a great importance for organisation of the Council's work, especially in legislative and political decisions. The task of the presidency is to organise and chair all meetings including those of work groups, and to mediate compromises.
The Council of the European Union is the legislative body of the Union and defines political directions of the EU. Its members are heads or prime ministers of individual countries and the president of the European Commission. It exercises its legislative power on the co-decision basis together with the European Parliament. The EU Council usually meets in Brussels, at the Justus Lipsius building.
The EU Council consists of one representative of each member country at the level of ministers for different areas - finances, social affairs, agriculture, transport, etc. It meets in 9 different formations depending on the transacted agenda. E.g. the formation for foreign affairs and external relations consists of foreign ministers; the formation for justice and internal affairs of ministers of justice and home ministers. Members of the Council are politically responsible to their national parliaments. The Council holds regular public debates on significant matters affecting the interests of the EU and its citizens as well as political debates on their work programmes.