European Union countries are weighing on Thursday whether the bloc’s three newest members — Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia — can fully open their borders and participate in Europe’s ID-check-free travel zone, but more delays to their entry appear likely.
A green light would be a boon for their economies. The so-called Schengen area is the world's largest free travel zone. It comprises 26 countries — 22 EU states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Almost 1.7 million people live in one Schengen country and work in another. Around 3.5 million people cross an internal border each day.
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