In a significant milestone for European integration, Bulgaria and Romania will become full members of the Schengen free movement zone on 1 January – following a more than 13-year wait.
Bulgaria and Romania, both members of the European Union since 2007, were partially integrated into the Schengen in March, opening up travel by air and sea without border checks.
Austria's withdrawal of its long-standing veto this week has cleared the path for the two countries to join the world's largest border-free travel zone.
The breakthrough comes after a decade-long process of technical evaluations and political negotiations.
"It is a historic moment to finally welcome Bulgaria and Romania," said Hungarian Interior Minister Sandor Pinter, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency.
Bucharest and Sofia fulfilled all technical criteria set out by Brussels in 2010, but spent more than a decade waiting to join the Schengen as various member states blocked their entry.
'Historic decision'
Romania and Bulgaria "strongly" welcomed their full entry.
"This is a historic decision, marking the end of the process of accession of the two countries to the EU free movement area, a key objective of both Bulgaria and Romania since their accession to the European Union," the two countries said in a statement.
Since 2022, their applications have been held up by Austria, which had for years complained about hosting a disproportionate number of undocumented migrants as a result of poorly protected external Schengen borders.
Austria dropped its objections after the three countries signed a "border protection package" agreement in Budapest.
‘Air Schengen’: Austria to relax air, sea borders with Romania and Bulgaria
This agreement involves joint border guard deployments along the Bulgarian-Turkish border and temporary land border controls for an initial period of six months.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis hailed the decision as a "recognition of our years-long efforts," emphasizing that the accession would "strengthen EU security and unity."
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said the accession meant "a major benefit for our economy and faster journeys home for the millions of Romanians living and travelling in the EU".
Border crossing waits
For travelers and businesses, the implications are significant.
Truckers and cross-border workers, who previously endured wait times of up to 20 hours at land crossings, will now enjoy seamless travel.
Tourism operators are also jubilant, with Emil Abazov from the Bulgarian Tour Operators Association noting the move will place their business "on an equal footing with other EU countries."
Created in 1985, the Schengen zone comprises 29 members, allowing over 400 million people to travel freely across the zone.
This expansion represents more than just a bureaucratic achievement. As foreign policy analyst Stefan Popescu noted, admission to Schengen symbolises "a question of dignity, of belonging to the European Union".
(with AFP)
