As expected, EU interior ministers decided on Thursday to expand the border-free Schengen area to include Bulgaria and Romania. Austria had previously announced that it would no longer vote against.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) confirmed to journalists before the vote that Austria would give up its veto and vote yes. All other EU countries have long since declared their agreement. The way is now clear to open the borders on January 1, 2025. But there still need to be some controls.
New border protection package
The European Commission has been calling on Austria for some time to give up its blocking of full Schengen accession for Romania and Bulgaria. A first step was taken with ‘Air Schengen’: border controls at the air and sea borders with Bulgaria and Romania were lifted at the end of March. In November, the interior ministers of Austria, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary agreed on a new border protection package in Budapest.
The package stipulates that the participating countries in Budapest will send a joint contingent of one hundred border guards to the Bulgarian-Turkish border. In addition, internal border controls will continue to take place between Bulgaria and Romania, as well as between Hungary and Romania, for a certain period. If the protection of the EU’s external borders is not yet as robust as it should be, then such compensatory measures are necessary, said Interior Minister Karner.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
