Bulgaria and Romania take a step towards full Schengen membership
After waiting 13 years, Bulgaria and Romania have been partially accepted to Europe’s Schengen area of free movement.An agreement was made at the end of last year for the two countries to join the free-travel area by air and sea. If the these two Member States take better action to prevent irregular migration, they may be approved for full membership.
The Schengen rules will apply to both member states including on issuing visas and controls at the internal air and sea borders being lifted. The hope is for the accession of these two member states making the common area more attractive by significantly expanding the world’s already largest common area without internal border controls.
Since the agreement of the two joining last December, both Member States have taken all precautionary measures to ensure a smooth application of the Schengen rules from 31 March 2024.
The Schengen Area was started in 1985 as an intergovernmental project between five member states of the European Union: Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The name comes from Schengen, a small village in Luxembourg, where the agreement and the Schengen Convention were signed in 1985 and 1990 respectively.
The Schengen zone allows more than 400 million people in the EU to travel freely without internal border controls and now comprises of 29 members – 25 of the EU 27 states in addition to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
The next step will be for the Council to make a decision on lifting the checks at internal land borders. The Commission have ensured to provide all the necessary support for the Council to make a decision in 2024. Concerns over how Bucharest and Sofia manage irregular migration over their borders are what is holding back the approval of a full Schengen membership.
In order to combat this, the two Member States have established a regional initiative on police cooperation with other Member States along the Western Balkan and Eastern Mediterranean routes. This will allow for challenges, such as cross-border crime, to be addressed in a joint and sustainable manner.
The accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area represents a significant milestone in their European integration journey, signifying their commitment to deepening cooperation, strengthening security and upholding European values.