Austria lifts ban on Romania and Bulgaria joining Schengen zone

Austria has lifted its veto on the expansion of the Schengen zone and approved the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the European Union (EU). This was announced by the head of the country's Interior Ministry Gerhard Karner on December 9.

"Schengen is now also open to Romania and Bulgaria," he was quoted as saying by Puls24 TV channel.

According to him, Vienna will approve the accession of the two states to the Schengen zone at a meeting of the council of interior ministers of the EU member states, which will be held on December 12 in Brussels.

Austria has blocked Romania and Bulgaria from fully joining the Schengen zone from 2022. In November of that year, Carner said EU members had to protect their borders from migrants on their own, while Romania and Bulgaria, he said, were unable to do so.

Earlier, on November 18, Reuters, citing Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolaca, reported that Romania and Bulgaria will fully join the Schengen zone from January 2025.

Before that, on December 31, 2023, the EU decided to abolish air and sea control at internal borders between Bulgaria, Romania and Schengen countries from March 2024. At the same time, passport border controls were retained at land border crossings.

In 1985, the Schengen Agreement was signed to simplify passport and visa controls at the borders of a number of EU states. The agreement defined the so-called Schengen zone, which includes 29 states.