Romania and Bulgaria are preparing to join the European Union’s (EU) Schengen zone for air and sea travel in March 2024, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced. Although the opening of land borders is still to be discussed, a political agreement has been reached on passport-free travel by air and sea from next March, on Thursday, the 28th of December, reports Politico.
Romania’s prime minister has expressed optimism about a future agreement on the opening of land borders, saying he is “confident” that these negotiations will be completed in 2024.
Austria had previously opposed the inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria in the Schengen zone because of concerns about illegal immigration. However, in mid-December, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner offered passport-free travel by plane in exchange for tighter border security measures.
According to a statement by the Romanian Ministry of Interior, the Romanian, Austrian and Bulgarian authorities had ultimately reached a political agreement on the 23rd of December on partial accession to the Schengen zone and
the application of the Schengen rules to Romania’s land border is conditional on stricter border controls and compliance with the Dublin Agreement.
Critics have previously said that Austria’s opposition to Romania and Bulgaria’s inclusion in Schengen would weaken the EU and fuel scepticism towards the bloc in Eastern European countries.
Austria’s conservative-led coalition government has been feeling pressure to take a tougher stance on immigration, given the far-right Freedom Party’s soaring popularity in the polls, writes Politico.
Also read: Austria’s shift from EU consensus raises concerns
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