Romania and Bulgaria have officially joined the Schengen zone, growing the borderless area to 29 members and concluding a 13-year waiting period for these two Eastern European nations.
This expansion was facilitated when Austria and other members lifted their objections to these former communist countries joining, which took effect at midnight (10pm Irish time), celebrated with ceremonies at multiple border posts.
As members of the European Union since 2007, Romania and Bulgaria were partially integrated into the Schengen zone in March, which removed border checks at ports and airports.
However, Austria had previously threatened to veto their full entry due to migration concerns, resulting in continued controls at land border crossings.
Since its inception in 1985, the Schengen zone will now encompass 25 of the EU’s 27 members, alongside Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, accounting for a total population exceeding 400 million people.
Ireland and Cyprus remain outside the Schengen area.
Romania and Bulgaria have satisfied the technical criteria for Schengen membership since 2011.
Yet, as analyst Valentin Naumescu pointed out to AFP, “member states objected every time” they attempted to gain full membership.
This situation became “a source of frustration exploited by anti-EU parties, alleging that Romania was treated unfairly,” he explained.
People from Bulgaria celebrate the occasion at a border point between Romania and Bulgaria.
The resentment played a role in Romania’s recent presidential elections, where far-right candidate Calin Georgescu unexpectedly secured a first-round victory before the elections were annulled amidst accusations of Russian interference.
Now, Mr. Naumescu suggested, “that feeling of being second-class citizens” is likely to diminish.
Leaders from both nations have described the expansion as “historic.”
Austria had long complained about bearing a disproportionate share of undocumented migrants due to inadequately secured external Schengen borders.
However, it withdrew its objections to Romania, with a population of 19 million, and Bulgaria, with 6.5 million residents, joining the Schengen area following a border protection agreement signed in November.
This agreement includes the joint deployment of guards at the Bulgarian-Turkish border and temporary controls at land crossings for an initial duration of six months.
Economists estimate that joining the zone will increase Romania’s and Bulgaria’s gross domestic product by at least one percentage point.
Lorry drivers, who have faced waits of up to 20 hours at border crossings, welcomed the announcement.
“It was a waste of time for drivers, who couldn’t even take a break because they had to move their vehicles every ten minutes,” remarked Beniamin Lucescu, head of a Romanian transport federation.
Nonetheless, inadequate road and rail infrastructure in Bulgaria may restrict the potential benefits.
Meanwhile, the tourism industries in both countries anticipate a surge of visitors traveling to nearby Greece.
“It’s fantastic news,” said 46-year-old sales manager Ivailo Kirkov, who owns a property in northern Greece.
“We’ve been eagerly waiting,” he added.
Greek teacher and tour guide Gueorgui Grantcharov forecasted a rush of Romanian and Bulgarian tourists heading to Greece.
He noted that without border queues, “it takes just over four hours to get from Sofia to Thessaloniki.”
