Gerhard Karner

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 is dropping its veto on Romania and Bulgaria becoming full members of Europe's Schengen free-travel area, its interior ministry said on Monday, paving the way for European Union interior ministers to approve the move at a meeting on Thursday.

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's full entry into Schengen is still uncertain, with Austria not yet ready to lift its veto, despite hopes expressed by both the Romanian and Bulgarian governments.

Romania will join the Schengen area by land starting January 1, 2025, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced in an interview with Antena 3 TV, reported BNR. The decision is expected to be finalized at a meeting on Friday in Budapest, he stated.

The Austrian media report that an upcoming meeting between the interior ministers of Bulgaria, Romania, and Austria in Budapest could bring new developments for the Schengen membership of Bulgaria and Romania, BNR reports. Set for November 22 and hosted by Hungary's EU presidency, the meeting was confirmed by Austria's Ministry of the Interior.

Austria remains unwilling to lift its veto on removing border controls for Bulgaria and Romania at land borders, as stated by Acting Interior Minister Gerhard Karner ahead of an EU interior ministers' meeting in Luxembourg. The meeting will review the progress of both countries' bids.

According to Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, “intensive investigations are ongoing, and another person was arrested last night in Vienna.” The arrested individual is an 18-year-old Iraqi national who is associated with 19-year-old Beran A., an Austrian citizen of North Macedonian origin, who is the main suspect in a planned suicide attack on Taylor Swift’s concerts.

A planned attack targeting Taylor Swift's concerts in Vienna was thwarted, leading to the cancellation of the events. The plot involved a 19-year-old Austrian of Macedonian descent and a 17-year-old with Turkish-Croatian roots. The two were arrested for conspiring a suicide bombing during one of the American singer's performances.

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner in Belgrade on Tuesday.