On Thursday 12 December, the EU Member States decided to abolish checks on persons at internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania from 1 January 2025, the EU Council said in a press release.
The decision was made possible when Austria lifted its veto at a meeting in Hungary at the end of November (see EUROPE 13533/16).
“It is a historic moment to finally welcome Bulgaria and Romania as full Schengen members. Lifting checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between those Member States has been a top priority for the Hungarian presidency, and today we have made it a reality. This step will benefit not only Bulgarian and Romanian citizens, but also the EU as a whole”, said Hungarian Minister for Home Affairs Sándor Pintér in a press release.
The European Commission “welcomes today’s unanimous decision by the Council to lift internal land border controls with Romania and Bulgaria as of 1 January 2025. This important step completes the full entry of both countries into the Schengen area. This not only strengthens the Schengen area but it will further strengthen the Internal market, increase travel, trade and tourism. A robust Schengen area reinforces the EU’s unity and makes the EU stronger at a global scale”, says a press release.
Schengen encompasses 29 countries (25 Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) and 420 million people.
Link to the decision: https://aeur.eu/f/erk (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)