Bulgaria and Romania Celebrate Complete Schengen Accession
Bulgaria and Romania Celebrate Complete Schengen Accession
Bulgaria and Romania have joined the Schengen Zone as full members.
The decision comes after EU ministers approved these two nations’ full Schengen membership at their meeting on December 12, 2024.
For over a decade, Bulgaria and Romania have been waiting for this process to be completed.
With the official entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen Zone from January 1, 2025, there are now 29 nations in the EU’s borderless area collectively.
According to Schengen.News, the two Balkan nations’ complete Schengen accession ends a more than ten-year wait for this process to be finished.
On March 31, 2024, Romania and Bulgaria joined the Schengen Zone by air and sea, but not by land borders.
Austria lifted its veto, securing full Schengen accession.
Austria has consistently opposed Romania’s and Bulgaria’s entry into the Schengen Area, citing irregular migration concerns, despite the fact that they have been meeting the technical requirements since 2012.
However, on March 31, 2024, both Balkan nations made a partial entry into the Schengen Zone with Vienna’s help.
Regarding land border controls, Austria stated that both nations would still need to wait for full Schengen accession, bringing up the issue of irregular migration once more.
Austria’s veto over land borders was removed in December 2024. Gerhard Karner, Austria’s interior minister, confirmed the decision.
The minister emphasized in announcing the decision that “Schengen Land is now open to Romania and Bulgaria after Schengen Air.”
On November 22, 2024, the interior ministers of Austria, Romania, and Bulgaria met, hosted by Hungary, which at the time held the presidency of the Council of the European Union, to discuss the full Schengen accession of these two nations.
Marcel Ciolacu, the prime minister of Romania, stated shortly after the meeting that good outcomes had been obtained and emphasized that full membership would be granted by the end of 2024.
However, there is a requirement for Romania and Bulgaria to be fully members of the Schengen Zone.
In accordance with the Budapest agreement, land border controls between Romania and Bulgaria and Hungary will also be put into effect from January 1, 2025, and will remain in effect for at least six months in order to resolve security and public order threats.
