The EU Council on Justice and Home Affairs will take a key decision today on the abolition of checks at the land borders of Bulgaria and Romania. This is the first item on the agenda of the meeting, with confirmation expected around 11:00. Bulgarian time, quoted by BTA.
The draft decision, unanimously supported by the ambassadors of the EU countries in November, provides for the abolition of land-based Schengen checks from January 1, 2024.
This step becomes possible after the Netherlands announced last week that it would support both countries joining Schengen. The meeting in Budapest in November, where the interior ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Austria discussed the topic, also played a decisive role. Vienna, until now a major opponent, has also signaled its intention to lift its veto.
Last year, Bulgaria and Romania were granted partial access to Schengen, with checks removed only for air and sea traffic. The decision expected today will guarantee their full membership at the land borders as well, strengthening the integration of both countries in the European space without borders.
This step will facilitate the free movement of people and goods between Bulgaria, Romania and the other countries of the Schengen area. This will have a significant economic and social effect, while strengthening confidence in both countries as reliable partners in the European Union.
The formal announcement of the decision is expected to be widely welcomed by both parties, who have long worked towards this goal.