The EU gives its approval to the full entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area from January 1

This Wednesday, the European Union gave its approval to the full entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the borderless Schengen area from next January 1an integration that these two countries have been waiting for since more than a decade ago with the endorsement of Brussels but that was still pending because it needed the unanimity of the rest of the partners in the EU.

The political agreement has been made clear in a meeting at the level of ambassadors in Brussels but It cannot be formalized until the next meeting of Ministers of the Interior and Justice on December 12 and 13.since a parliamentary question remains to be resolved in the Netherlands that European sources describe as a pure formalism.

In fact, the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannishas already celebrated in a message on social networks the “important moment” What does this Wednesday’s agreement mean because will mean the end of the land borders of Romania and Bulgaria with the rest of the Schengen partners “as of January 1, 2025.”

“The Justice and Interior Council in December will formalize this legitimate and long-awaited decision by all Romanian citizens,” Iohannis highlighted in his brief statement.

The decision to enter Schengen requires the unanimous agreement of European governmentsbut reservations from the Netherlands and Austria have frustrated its entry in recent years, despite reports from Brussels certifying that the two countries more than meet the criteria for accession.

The first obstacle was overcome in December 2023with a first agreement for the gradual entry into the borderless space, first in air and maritime access starting in March of this year and leaving the door open to the end of land borders later, but without a clear calendar because it persisted Austria’s refusal.

Finally, in an agreement sponsored by the rotating presidency of the EU that Hungary holds this semesterAustria, Romania and Bulgaria announced last Friday an agreement in principle for their definitive and full entry starting next year. The agreement, in which the European Commission also participated, includes commitments to combat irregular migration and accelerate deportations.

The Schengen Treaty establishes the lifting of internal border controls between its member states.

Currently, its space – without Bulgaria and Romania – covers 4.3 million square kilometers and 423 million citizens from 27 European countries (23 EU partners and 4 non-EU partners).