EU approves full Schengen membership for Bulgaria and Romania

Sub: Env

Sec: Int grouping

Context:

The European Union has approved Bulgaria and Romania for full membership in the Schengen Zone, set to begin on January 1 of the next year.
This marks the culmination of a 13-year journey for the two countries, which have long been seeking full integration into the borderless travel area.

Background:

Bulgaria and Romania, both EU and NATO members, had been waiting for approval since their EU membership in 2007.
The long wait has been due to concerns over undocumented immigration, particularly from Austria, which had previously vetoed their entry.
However, after significant negotiations, Austria agreed to lift its objections after the two countries signed a “border protection package” agreement.

Partial Membership in 2023:

In March 2023, both countries were granted partial membership, allowing the removal of air and maritime border checks with the other Schengen countries.
However, land border controls remained in place. The full membership, effective January 1, 2024, will remove these land border restrictions and enable free movement across all borders.

About Schengen Zone:

The Schengen Area, established in 1985, currently consists of 29 countries, including 25 of the 27 EU member states and non-EU countries such as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
The Agreement was named after the Luxembourg town of Schengen where the implementing convention was signed on 19 June 1990.
It is the world’s largest area without internal border controls, enabling over 400 million people to travel freely within the zone.
Ireland and Cyprus are EU states that are not part of the Schengen area. Croatia became a member in 2023.