The European Council has announced that Romania and Bulgaria are set to join the Schengen area’s free movement zone in a phased manner starting March 2024. Having been part of the European Union since 2007, both countries faced a setback at the end of 2022 when their bid to enter the Schengen zone, where over 400 million individuals enjoy borderless travel, was denied.
Austria, citing concerns over a high influx of undocumented immigrants due to inadequately secured external Schengen borders, had previously vetoed their applications. However, a unanimous decision by the 27 EU member states on Saturday has now paved the way for lifting checks at Romania and Bulgaria’s air and sea borders from March 31.
The decision to open land borders will be discussed further in the coming year. This move, following 12 years of negotiation, has been hailed by the European Commission as a step that strengthens the EU both internally and globally. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, celebrated this as a “historic moment” and expressed pride for Bulgaria and Romania, emphasizing their positive contribution to the Schengen zone’s strength.
The Schengen area, established in 1985, currently encompasses 23 EU member states along with Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
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