Romania and Bulgaria will join the European Union’s (EU) visa-free Schengen zone tomorrow as some of their own border restrictions expire, The Journal reports.
The decision for the two EU member states to join Schengen, which Ireland has refused since its inception, was approved by the European Commission late last year.
Restrictions on air and sea traffic will be lifted tomorrow as part of the two nations’ first steps towards joining the bloc’s free movement zone. Discussions on the removal of controls at the countries’ land borders will continue throughout this year.
Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen zone will boost travel, trade and tourism in both countries, and the EU hopes it will strengthen and consolidate the internal market.
According to a statement from the Romanian government, Schengen rules will apply at four seaports and 17 airports, with Otopeni airport, near the capital Bucharest, becoming the largest hub for Schengen flights.
More staff – from border police to immigration officers – will be deployed at airports to “support passengers and identify those who want to take advantage and leave Romania illegally”, the government said.
Random checks will also be carried out to identify people with forged documents and to combat human trafficking, including of minors.
The European Commission previously launched pilot projects with Romania and Bulgaria in March 2023 to strengthen external border management, enhance cooperation with neighbouring countries and ensure fast asylum and return procedures. The EU executive has also conducted a number of fact-finding missions to ensure that both members are suitable for accession and fulfil strict criteria.
Bulgaria and Romania hope to be fully integrated into the Schengen area by the end of this year, but EU member state Austria has so far only resigned itself to being allowed entry by air and sea.
The Austrian government had opposed previous decisions to abolish land borders, fearing it would lead to an influx of asylum seekers into eastern European countries. Despite this, the decision to abolish controls at the two countries’ air and sea borders has important symbolic significance, as both states have been waiting almost 13 years for approval of the move.
Admission to Schengen is a milestone for Bulgaria and Romania and symbolises “a question of dignity, of belonging to the European Union”, according to foreign policy analyst Stefan Popescu. He told the AFP news agency:
“Any Romanian who had to walk down a lane separate from other European citizens felt being treated differently.”
Croatia became the last Schengen Member State after joining the Union in January 2023. Established in 1985, the Schengen Area allows more than 400 million people to move freely within it without internal border controls.
