EU - Romania and Bulgaria join the Schengen area
The border-free Schengen area in Europe is growing. The EU countries agreed on Saturday to extend the area to Romania and Bulgaria, as announced by the Spanish Council Presidency on the X platform, formerly Twitter. Accordingly, checks on persons at internal air and sea borders are to be lifted from the end of March 2024. A decision on the lifting of controls at land borders will be made at a later date, according to the statement.
The Schengen area is intended to ensure the unrestricted movement of people in Europe. To date, 23 of the 27 EU member states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland have been part of it.
The inclusion of the two EU countries Romania and Bulgaria in the Schengen area has so far failed mainly due to resistance from Austria. The government in Vienna had justified its rejection on the grounds that too many unregistered migrants were arriving. New members can only be accepted unanimously. Romania and Bulgaria had been waiting for the decision since 2011.
Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007
The EU Commission welcomed the decision of the EU countries. The accession of Romania and Bulgaria will promote travel, trade and tourism and further consolidate the internal market. The President of the Brussels authority, Ursula von der Leyen, said it was an important step forward for both countries and for the Schengen area as a whole. This major achievement is the result of the hard work, commitment and perseverance of both countries.
All EU Member States will become full members of the Schengen area as soon as they are ready. This is both a right and an obligation.
Romania and Bulgaria had already joined the EU in 2007. Until September, however, the judiciary and rule of law there were under special surveillance by the EU Commission due to rampant corruption and organized crime. These problems were another reason why the heads of state and government did not unanimously agree on accession for a long time. In mid-September, the authority officially ended the special monitoring and Romania and Bulgaria were said to be ready for membership.
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The extension of the Schengen area to Romania and Bulgaria will include nations like Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, as they are currently part of it. This move was met with approval from the EU Commission, which believes it will promote travel, trade, and tourism, further consolidating the internal market. Norway, as a non-EU member, has been part of the Schengen area through diplomatic agreements. The EU Commission's President, Ursula von der Leyen, hailed it as an important step forward for both countries and the Schengen area. Despite joining the EU in 2007, Romania and Bulgaria faced scrutiny due to issues with corruption and organized crime, which delayed their full Schengen area integration until September 2023, as per the EU Commission's decision.
Source: www.stern.de
