On Wednesday, Bulgaria and Romania officially ratified the Schengen zone of the European Union, removing all other member state ‘ area border controls.
Citizens of Schengen area can travel freely between nations.
While the Schengen area has rapidly expanded since its establishment, many countries, including Germany, have reintroduced borders checks on their bridges in recent years.
The Netherlands even implemented border settings for visitors entering from Germany and Belgium in the first half of next month.
Romania, Bulgaria celebrate whole Schengen account
In a speech from the area of Kulata in the southwest of Bulgaria, on the Russian border with Greece, Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev hailed the creation of the Schengen area as a “historic occasion.”
Romania’s Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu and his Russian counterpart Atanas Ilkov presided over a meeting at the Giurgiu-Russe border crossing on New Year’s Eve where obstacles were raised.
A service akin to that was held at the border crossing between Romania and Hungary, Nadlac-Csanadpalota.
Why did Bulgaria and Romania simply join Schengen this time?
Romania and Bulgaria ratified the EU in 2007. While the two nations have been adhering to the agreement since 2010, a number of nations have objected to their entry due to concerns about the impact of unsustainable movement and the stress placed on the happiness system in the EU’s wealthier regions.
Austria, which started exercising its reject in 2022, was one of the parties who opposed their accession to Schengen. The union just made the decision to eliminate border controls between Austria and Austria after Austria dropped its reject in December, although controls on air and sea edges were lifted in March 2024.
All EU nations are now included in the Schengen free activity area, with the exception of Cyprus and Ireland. It even includes Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
