Austria–Romania relations

The European Union has officially approved Bulgaria and Romania as full members of the Schengen area. The decision, announced on Thursday at a meeting of EU interior ministers in Brussels, comes after the two countries partially joined Schengen by air and sea in March.

Austria has officially announced that it is lifting its veto on Bulgaria and Romania's accession to the Schengen Area by land. The decision was confirmed by the Austrian Interior Ministry, marking a significant step forward for the two countries' integration into the Schengen zone.

Bulgaria and Romania are set to enter the Schengen Area, but border controls at their land borders will remain in place for at least six months following their accession. This agreement was finalized today in Budapest, where the interior ministers of Bulgaria, Romania, Austria, and Hungary signed a joint declaration, as reported by the Hungarian rotating presidency of the EU Council.

The Netherlands may still pose a challenge to Bulgaria and Romania's full accession to the Schengen zone, according to a report in the Financial Times.

European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Ylva Johansson addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg, urging the abolition of land border controls for Bulgaria and Romania by the end of 2024. She emphasized that both countries had fulfilled all necessary requirements to join the Schengen area, highlighting the importance of free movement for EU citizens.

Since late 2022, Bulgaria and Romania have been primarily focused on Austria regarding their inclusion in the Schengen Agreement. This agreement, initiated in 1985, allows for border-free travel across Europe. However, Austria's unexpected veto halted the EU's plan to incorporate both countries into the Schengen zone.

The European Commission reaffirmed today that Romania and Bulgaria are fully prepared for complete accession to the Schengen area, according to a spokesperson cited by the Agerpres agency and reported by BTA.

Austria no longer has a problem with Romania, but still claims that the Schengen area needs to be reformed. As for Bulgaria, it continues the dialogue with the Netherlands and needs to make some urgent reforms in the judicial system. This was stated by the Romanian Minister of Internal Affairs, Catalin Predoiu, in an interview with B1 TV.

The EU Council's vote last December to admit Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania into the Schengen area for free travel should have been a triumphant moment for the bloc.