Romania and Bulgaria become full members of the Schengen zone after 13 years of waiting

 Austria and other member states withdraw objections, Schengen border-free area expands to 29 countries

Thursday, January 2, 2025

Vienna (UrduPoint News  Today/ Latest News - International Press Agency. January 02, 2025) European countries Romania and Bulgaria have become full members of the Schengen zone after a 13-year wait, after which the borderless Schengen area has been expanded to 29 member countries. According to the French broadcaster, this expansion was possible when Austria and other members withdrew their objections to the inclusion of former communist countries. In this regard, ceremonies were officially held at various border points at midnight on January 1.

Romania and Bulgaria, members of the European Union since 2007, were both partially included in the Schengen zone in March, which ended border checks at ports and airports. However, Austria threatened to veto full entry for citizens of the two countries, citing concerns about migrants, meaning controls at land border crossings would remain in place. Vienna withdrew its veto threat last December after the three countries reached an agreement on a border security package that paved the way for Romania and Bulgaria, two of the EU's poorest countries, to join Schengen.

The zone, established in 1985, will now include 25 of the 27 EU members, plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, covering a combined population of more than 400 million people. Romania and Bulgaria met the Schengen zone’s technical requirements for membership in 2011. Analyst Valentin Numescu says that whenever member states tried to join, there were objections. He said it became a source of frustration for anti-EU parties who alleged that Romania was being treated unfairly. This resentment was expressed in Romania’s recent presidential election, in which far-right candidate Călin Gheorgheescu won a surprise victory in the first round, before the vote was annulled following claims of Russian interference.

The Schengen zone was established in 1985 as an intergovernmental project between five EU countries - France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. It has gradually become the world's largest free travel area. However, several Schengen member states, including the Netherlands, Austria and Germany, have reintroduced some land border checkpoints this year, citing concerns ranging from migration to security. Some EU officials have warned that the reimposed surveillance measures could undermine the scheme's objectives.

Before the partial accession of Bulgaria and Romania, Schengen comprised 23 of the 27 EU countries, including Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Around 3.5 million people cross Schengen's internal borders every day and more than 42 million people live in Schengen.