EC and EP Announce Successful Outcome of Budapest Schengen Meeting

BUDAPEST/BRUSSELS/SOFIA – During a recent meeting in Budapest, the interior ministers of Bulgaria, Romania, Austria, and Hungary drafted a joint declaration addressing the imminent removal of border checks along the land borders of Bulgaria and Romania within the Schengen Area.

This declaration was shared on the official social media account of the Hungarian EU Presidency. It states that collaborative efforts to tackle illegal migration will persist, with coordinated checks to be conducted at the internal borders between Hungary and Romania, as well as Romania and Bulgaria, for a minimum of six months. The partnership will see the deployment of a combined team of 100 border police officers, comprising 15 from Austria, 25 from Bulgaria, 20 from Hungary, and 40 from Romania.

Hungarian Interior Minister Sándor Pintér indicated that Romania and Bulgaria could fully integrate into the Schengen zone by January 2025, as reported by Reuters.

Ahead of a vote by the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council scheduled for December 12 to discuss lifting land border checks—which have remained since Bulgaria and Romania’s admission to Schengen at the end of the previous December—Hungary reiterated its commitment. Earlier this year, checks on air and sea borders for Bulgaria and Romania were already lifted.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the positive outcomes from the informal discussions in Budapest, emphasizing that “the place of Bulgaria and Romania is in Schengen.” She noted that the removal of land border checks represents the final obstacle, with the EU Council’s official decision being the next step. She expressed hopes for a stronger Schengen in 2025.

Similarly, Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, acknowledged the developments, highlighting that Members of the European Parliament have consistently advocated for Bulgaria and Romania’s full inclusion in Schengen. She anticipates a final decision in the near future, with discussions set to take place in Strasbourg next week.

The two largest political groups in the European Parliament, the European People’s Party (EPP) and the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), expressed their satisfaction with the recent decisions. The EPP welcomed Austria’s affirmative stance on Bulgaria and Romania’s full admission to Schengen, citing it as a significant step toward enhancing Europe’s security and safeguarding external borders.

The S&D described the news from Budapest as “fantastic,” stating that after years of unwarranted delays, Bulgaria and Romania will finally be fully integrated into Schengen, with Austria lifting its veto. They emphasized that there should be no “second-class” citizens within the EU, as Bulgarians and Romanians are entitled to the same freedom of movement as other European citizens. The socialists in the EP are looking forward to confirmation from the EU Council next month.

Bulgarian interim Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev highlighted the advancements made by Bulgaria and Romania in combating illegal migration, noting that these efforts reflect the commitment of the entire European Union.