Headline: Bulgaria and Romania joined Europe’s vast Schengen area of free movement on Sunday.
Romania and Bulgaria entered Europe’s huge Schengen area of free movement on Sunday, allowing for air and sea travel without border checks after a 13-year wait.
Austria’s rejection, however, means that the new status won’t apply to land routes, since Vienna highlighted concerns about a potential inflow of asylum seekers.
Although partial membership, the removal of barriers at the two countries’ air and sea borders has substantial symbolic value.
According to foreign policy researcher Stefan Popescu, Bulgaria and Romania’s admission to Schengen is an “important milestone” that represents a “question of dignity and belonging to the European Union.”
Romania and Bulgaria entered Europe’s Visa Free Zone
Bulgaria and Romania entered Europe’s huge Schengen area of free movement on Sunday, allowing for air and sea travel without border checks after a 13-year wait.
“Any Romanian who had to go down a lane separate from other European citizens felt being treated differently,” he told the AFP news agency.
Ivan Petrov, a 35-year-old Bulgarian marketing professional based in France, expressed enthusiasm about less stressful travel and the time he could save.
“This is a great success for both countries and an important turning point for the Schengen area — the world’s largest free movement zone,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in an announcement Saturday.
“Together, we are building a stronger, more united Europe for all our citizens.”
With Bulgaria and Romania entering on Sunday, the Schengen zone will have 29 members: 25 of the 27 European Union member nations, as well as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
Romania Government statement
Romania’s government said that Schengen standards will apply to four sea ports and 17 airports, with Otopeni airport near the capital Bucharest serving as the primary hub for Schengen flights.
Bulgaria and Romania will join the Schengen zone on Sunday, bringing the total to 29 members: 25 of the 27 European Union member nations, as well as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
Romania’s government said that Schengen standards will apply to four sea ports and 17 airports, with Otopeni airport near the capital Bucharest serving as the primary hub for Schengen flights.
More personnel, including border police and immigration officers, will be sent to airports to “assist passengers and identify those who want to take benefit to leave Romania illegally,” it added.
Random checks will also be conducted to detect people using fraudulent documents and combat human trafficking.
European Integration Progress: Romania and Bulgaria Aspirations
Bulgaria and Romania both expect to be fully incorporated into Schengen by the end of the year, but Austria has so far only agreed to air and sea connections.
Croatia, which joined the EU after Romania and Bulgaria, became the 27th Schengen member in January 2023.
The Schengen Area, established in 1985, permits more than 400 million people to travel freely without internal border inspections.
According to the union, truckers often wait eight to 16 hours at the border with Hungary and 20 to 30 hours at the Bulgarian border, with three-day peaks.
Bulgarian businesses have also voiced their anger over the slow progress
Earlier this month, one of Romania’s largest road transport unions, the UNTRR, called for “urgent measures” to achieve complete Schengen integration, citing the enormous financial losses caused by the long waits.
“Every year, Romanian haulers lose billions of euros due to long border wait times,” stated Secretary-General Radu Dinescu.
According to the union, truckers often wait eight to 16 hours at the border with Hungary and 20 to 30 hours at the Bulgarian border, with three-day peaks.
“Only three percent of Bulgarian goods are shipped by air and sea, while 97% of them are transported by land,” stated Vasil Velev, head of the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA).
“So we’re at three percent in Schengen and we don’t know when we’ll be there with the other 97 percent,” he told the Reuters news agency.
Bucharest and Sofia have both stated that there would be no turning back.
“There is no doubt that this process is permanent,” Romanian Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu said last month, adding that it “must be completed by 2024 with the extension to land borders”.
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