Romania

Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area by land will not result in the country becoming a migrant buffer, Acting Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov stated during a briefing following the EU Council's final decision. Ilkov described the event as a historic achievement for Bulgaria, marking December 12, 2024, as a significant date for Bulgarian citizens, businesses, and institutions.

The IT industry in Bulgaria is set to end 2024 without any growth in employment numbers and with decreasing revenue growth, according to Iliya Krastev, chairman of AIBEST. During the annual report presentation, he noted that the country's lack of a functional government and clear economic vision has led neighboring nations to capitalize on this instability.

European Union ministers on Thursday agreed to let Bulgaria and Romania fully integrate into Europe's ID-check-free travel zone, known as the Schengen area, by lifting land border controls from next year, the EU's Hungarian presidency said.

EU states on Thursday cleared Bulgaria and Romania to become full members of the borderless Schengen zone from the start of next year, officials said.

"It is a historic moment to finally welcome Bulgaria and Romania," said Hungarian Interior Minister Sandor Pinter, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency.

The Bulgarian economy is expected to gain significantly from the country's admission to the Schengen area, with annual economic benefits estimated at 500 million leva. The Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA) expressed optimism that the removal of border controls will have an immediate impact, not only on transport companies but also on Bulgarian citizens.

Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov expressed immense pride and emotion as Bulgaria was officially accepted as a full member of the Schengen Area, with land border controls set to be abolished starting January 1, 2025.

Bulgaria and Romania will officially become full members of the Schengen area starting on January 1, 2025. This decision was confirmed today during a meeting of the EU Council of Justice and Home Affairs.

A group of Bulgarian cybersecurity experts, known as BG Elves, has revealed that the Russian Federation has spent 69 million euros to fund a large-scale propaganda and interference campaign targeting Bulgaria and Romania. According to BG Elves, the funds were channeled through small, difficult-to-detect transactions, with amounts as low as 5,000 euros each.

Bulgaria's potential admission to the Schengen Area poses serious risks to national security, warned Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of the pro-Russian "Revival" party, during a parliamentary session.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev addressed the Cabinet at the beginning of a crucial meeting where the most important laws of the year, including the State Budget Law, the Law on Public Health Insurance, and the NHIF Law, were set to be reviewed.