Romania and Bulgaria Aim for Schengen Membership by 2025

Romania and Bulgaria are poised to achieve full membership in the Schengen travel zone by January 2025, pending a final decision at an EU interior ministers meeting on December 11. Both nations, which joined the EU in 2007, partially entered Schengen in March after securing an agreement with Austria, the last holdout against their full accession due to migration concerns. Hungarian Interior Minister Sandor Pinter highlighted significant progress made by both countries, while Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu emphasized the importance of the upcoming meeting for finalizing their entry. A crucial security package, including the deployment of 100 border guards, is set to be discussed to enhance border protection between Turkey and Bulgaria. The Schengen expansion is anticipated to boost the economies of Romania and Bulgaria, which have estimated losses of up to 5% of GDP due to continued exclusion from land access. European Commissioner Ylva Johansson expressed optimism regarding the readiness of both countries and the Schengen area for this advancement.