Romania and Bulgaria, which joined the European Union in 2007, were not admitted to the Schengen area at the end of 2022, where more than 400 million people live. people can travel freely without internal border controls.
Their requests were vetoed by Austria, which has complained for years that it has to endure a disproportionately high flow of illegal immigration due to the poorly guarded external borders of the Schengen area.
On Saturday, the EU’s 27 member states unanimously decided to abolish air and sea border controls between the two countries from March 31, according to a statement from the European Union.
Discussions on opening land borders will continue next year.
The European Commission welcomed the partial integration of both countries into the Schengen area following 12 years of negotiations.
“The enlargement of the Schengen area will make the EU stronger as a Union within its borders and in the world,” she said in a statement.
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen (Urzula von der Lajen), called it a historic moment.
“Today Bulgaria and Romania can be proud,” she wrote on social media. – They both deserve it. They will further strengthen the Schengen area.”
Created in 1985, the Schengen area includes 23 of the 27 EU member states and their associated neighbors Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
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2024-07-14 17:38:39
