EU enlarges open-border region

2024-12-15 06:39:50

(MENAFN) The European Council has announced that starting January 1, Bulgaria and Romania will fully join the Schengen Area, lifting land border checks with neighboring countries. This decision marks the end of an 18-year wait since the two nations joined the EU. The removal of border controls between Bulgaria and Greece, and Romania and Hungary, is seen as a historic milestone, benefiting both Bulgarian and Romanian citizens as well as the broader EU.

Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu emphasized that Schengen membership was a key objective for his country and that Romania would continue to bolster the EU’s external borders to manage illegal migration. Despite concerns over issues like corruption and the refugee crisis, the countries met the necessary requirements for full Schengen membership.

Bulgaria and Romania, both NATO members, joined the EU in 2007 but had faced delays in joining Schengen due to concerns over illegal migration, human trafficking, and security issues. Austria had blocked their accession in 2022, citing high numbers of refugees arriving through the Balkans. However, partial membership was granted in March, with air and maritime border checks removed, and land controls now officially lifted. The Schengen zone, which now includes 29 members, is the world's largest area without internal border controls.

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