Paris angers EU over border curbs

Paris - France provoked a crisis with its European Union partners by deciding to maintain its border controls unilaterally after neighbouring states refused to grant it another delay.

Under the Schengen convention, seven EU states - France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg - had been due to end all internal border controls last night after a three-month initial test phase.

France argued that loopholes in the accord had led to increased drugs trafficking and illegal immigration. Reuter