Starting from today, January 1, 2025, Romania and Bulgaria have officially become the newest members of the Schengen Zone, bringing the total number of EU’s borderless area countries to 29.
The full Schengen accession of the two Balkan countries closes a more-than-decade long chapter of waiting for this process to conclude, Schengen.News reports.
It follows the approval of the European Union ministers to permit full membership of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Zone from the beginning of 2025, confirmed at the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council that took place on December 12, 2024.
EU member states have decided to remove checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania from 1 January 2025.
Romania and Bulgaria became part of the Schengen Zone by air and sea on March 31, 2024, but not also through land borders.
Full Schengen Accession Secured After Austria Lifted Its Veto
In spite of meeting the technical criteria since 2012, Austria continuously opposed the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area citing irregular migration concerns.
But, on March 31, 2024, with the support of Vienna, both Balkan countries entered the Schengen Zone partially.
However, when it came to the issue of land border controls, Austria said that both countries would still have to wait for full Schengen accession, mentioning again irregular migration concerns.
In December 2024, Austria’s veto in terms of land borders was lifted. The decision was confirmed by the Interior Minister of Austria, Gerhard Karner.
Announcing the decision the minister stressed that “After ‘Schengen Air,’ ‘Schengen Land’ is now open to Romania and Bulgaria”.
Full Schengen accession of these two countries was also discussed in a meeting held on November 22, 2024, between the interior ministers of Austria, Romania, and Bulgaria hosted by Hungary, as the then holder of the presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Soon after the meeting, the Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, said that positive results were achieved, stressing that the full membership would come by the end of 2024.
Considering all these concrete aspects, I am confident that after 13 years, Romania will achieve full Schengen accession by the end of the year.
However, the full membership of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Zone comes with a condition.
In line with the Budapest agreement, land border controls between Hungary and Romania, and between Romania and Bulgaria, will also be implemented from today January 1, 2025 and will be kept in place for at least six months to address threats to public order and security.
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