Bulgaria and Romania will be able to take advantage of all the benefits of the Schengen area, starting from the beginning of next year, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ilva Johansson said at the beginning of the Schengen debate taking place in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. She said that she expects the Hungarian Presidency to propose in December to abolish checks on the land borders of Romania and Bulgaria already in January next year.
"I have already put the bottle of champagne in the fridge and I can assure you that on New Year I will be thinking about my friends in Romania and Bulgaria," Johansson said with a smile.
In front of the MEPs, she recalled how five years ago the expansion of the Schengen area was not on the agenda at all.
“Bulgaria and Romania I was blocked in the waiting room. We have been saying they are ready for 13 years, but the Council had not yet made its decision. Change can sometimes come quickly, but not automatically. We all worked hard to achieve this change, she added, noting that key changes have taken place over the past two years.
“Croatia entered the Schengen area in 2023, and in March Bulgaria and Romania entered Schengen by air and sea”, specified the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs.
She informed that Frontext is increasing its presence with 280 employees in Bulgaria and 220 employees in Romania.
“Your place is in Schengen and you deserve to take advantage of all the benefits,” Johansson concluded.