Ending years of deadlock and frustration, Austria has agreed to expand the Schengen area to include with Romania and Bulgaria with air and sea borders starting in March 2024 Romania’s interior ministry said on Wednesday.
Former Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said it was the country’s most important achievement after joining NATO and the European Union.
The entry into the passport-free Schengen area will start with the air and sea borders, and proceed to ongoing negotiations during the year for entry to include the land borders. Austria was one of the major obstacles to the two countries’ entry citing migration concerns.
The agreement, which was hailed in Bucharest, ends years-long of deadlock over European objections and frustration in the two southeast European nations ho said they were being unfairly treated as second-rank EU members.
„After 13 years, Romania will finally enter Schengen! We have political agreement on this,” Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said.
Senate speaker Nicolae Ciuca said it was „the country’s most important objective after EU and NATO membership.”
It is „the fruit of efforts which began immediately after we joined the European Union (in 2007),” added Ciuca, the former prime minister.
The interior ministry said it reached a political agreement with the Austrian and Bulgarian interior ministries on the enlargement of the Schengen Area to include Romania and Bulgaria on Dec. 23.
The Austrian government had been the main impediment Schengen passport-free travel for Romania and Bulgaria as Chancellor Karl Nehammer made immigration the top issue on his policy agenda ahead of elections next year. His position was criticized at home and abroad, particularly in Romania and Bulgaria.
Discussions continued between diplomats on 26 and 27 December between the interior and foreign ministries and diplomatic missions accredited to the EU. Talks will continue on Thursday.
The political agreement now needs the agreement of all EU Member States, considered a procedural step that will happen on Thursday.
The interior ministry thanked Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Ciolacu, the foreogn ministry, the European Commission and the Spanish Presidency of the EU and the Austrian and Bulgarian interior ministries.
Austria could greenlight Schengen for Romania, Bulgaria flights
