The inclusion in the free movement treaty concerns air and sea borders as next year the opening of land borders will be examined
Bulgaria and Romania have reached an agreement with Austria on their entry into the European Schengen area of free movement by sea and air from March 2024, the Romanian government announced.
“After 13 years, Romania will finally join Schengen! We have a political agreement on the issue!”, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Tsolaku wrote on Facebook.
The Ministry of the Interior of Romania mentions the achievement in a statement “political agreement” between the three countries for the extension of the zone “on the air and sea borders” of Romania and Bulgaria from March 2024.
Issue of the opening of land borders will be the subject of talks to be held next year.
Austria, which a year ago vetoed the two countries’ entry into the Schengen zone, floated the idea it called “Air Schengen” in early December. Vienna has said it is ready to relax rules governing air traffic for Bulgaria and Romania if Brussels strengthens the European Union’s external borders.
Romania and Bulgaria, members of the European Union since 2007were not accepted at the end of 2022 in this vast zone within which 400 million people can travel freely without internal border controls.
Austria vetoed both bids as Vienna has long complained about disproportionate illegal immigration linked to the Schengen area’s poorly secured external borders.
The area of free movement of persons and goods was created in 1985 and includes 23 of the 27 countries of the European Union, as well as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Source :Skai
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