On a Saturday, the European Union reached a unanimous agreement to begin a gradual entry into Schengen for Romania and Bulgaria, following Austria. Austria, the last of the 27 to oppose the move in the Schengen free movement area, lifted its veto.
The decision, effective in March, will see the removal of controls at internal air and sea borders for Romania and Bulgaria. Spain, holding the presidency of the EU Council, pledged to finalize a timeline for ending land border checks at a later stage in coordination with Austria, Bulgaria, and Romania.
Charles Michel, president of the European Council, congratulated the citizens of Romania and Bulgaria on the expansion of Schengen for sea and air passengers via his profile on X. He noted that this is a long-awaited step toward greater freedom of movement for Romanian and Bulgarian residents, with expectations that land transport checks will follow.
Officials from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior described the breakthrough after twelve years of negotiations, emphasizing it as a key priority of Spain’s EU Council presidency. They indicated that the agreement would take effect soon and marked a turning point for the region.
They added that the phased removal of border controls at Bulgaria and Romania would strengthen and broaden Europe’s area of free movement and ease travel for millions of people. This is expected to yield a positive social and economic impact throughout the region.
Austria confirmed that its veto was withdrawn on Saturday, following declarations from Romania on Wednesday and Bulgaria on Thursday.
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu had previously stated that the deal would also cover cruise travel, benefiting the Port of Constanta on the Black Sea, and expressed confidence that full accession would be negotiated in 2024.
For years the European Commission and the European Parliament have asserted that Bulgaria and Romania, members of the EU since 2007, were ready to join Schengen, while Austria had blocked their entry until now.
The Schengen Agreement establishes the removal of border controls among member states, covering a land area of 4.3 million square kilometers and safeguarding the rights of 423 million people across 27 European countries, including 23 EU members and four non-EU states.