Romania and Bulgaria will officially become full members of the Schengen free-travel zone starting January 1, following an agreement reached by EU interior ministers on Thursday.
This milestone comes after Austria dropped its veto on Monday, clearing the way for both countries to join. Previously, Romania and Bulgaria were set to enter the Schengen area in 2023 alongside Croatia, but their accession was blocked by Austria, which raised concerns over the two countries’ handling of a surge in migrants arriving via the Western Balkan route.
“After ‘Schengen Air,’ ‘Schengen Land’ is now open to Romania and Bulgaria,” Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said on Monday, emphasizing that Austria’s pressure contributed to a reduction in migrant arrivals.
The two countries had already partially joined the Schengen zone in March, with air and maritime travel restrictions being lifted at that time. However, land border checks remained in place.
In November, interior ministers from Hungary, Austria, Bulgaria, and Romania agreed to take “necessary steps” toward removing land border checks, contingent on ongoing joint efforts to tackle irregular migration.
This final approval cements Romania and Bulgaria’s long-awaited full membership in the Schengen zone, symbolizing a significant step towards greater European integration.













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