Romania and Bulgaria have agreed with Austria to join the Schengen area with open borders by air and sea from March 2024, with land border talks to continue next year. Reuters reports this concerning the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania.
“From March, Romanians will be able to use the advantages of the Schengen zone on air and sea routes,” said the Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Colacu. “I am convinced that in 2024 we will complete negotiations on land borders as well.”
Austria opposed the extension of the visa-free Schengen zone to Romania and Bulgaria at a meeting of European Union interior ministers a year ago, saying the level of illegal immigration was still too high and that both countries needed to do more to prevent it before joining the Schengen zone.
After they agreed to strengthen border security measures and secured the support of other EU countries, Austria partially relented, offering a phased entry.
Europe’s Schengen zone – the latest news
Earlier, the President of Romania said that “Schengen” is no longer functioning, as many states, including those in Central Europe, have closed their borders due to migration.
Hungary has threatened to veto Bulgaria’s entry into Europe’s Schengen zone if it does not reverse the decision to raise fees for the transit of Russian gas through its territory.
The open borders Schengen zone currently includes 23 of the bloc’s 27 member states, as well as Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland, which are not part of the EU.