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2025 enlargement of the Schengen Area

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Map of the current member states of the Schengen Area

The 2025 enlargement of the Schengen Area was when Bulgaria and Romania joined fully the Schengen Area open borders system on 1 January 2025, after having had air and sea travel border controls lifted on 31 March 2024.[1] Having been approved technically by the Council of Ministers in 2011, the accession process ended up being considerably politicized and convoluted, particularly by the use of vetoes by the Netherlands and Austria especially.

Procedure

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The procedure to join the Schengen Area is that the European Commission evaluates certain criteria. These criteria include border control legislation, infrastructure and organisation, personal data protection, visas, deportations, and police cooperation.[2] More specifically, countries must take responsibility for controlling the EU’s external borders, they must apply a common set of Schengen rules, such as controls of land, sea and air frontiers, as well as the issuing of uniform Schengen visas, ensure a high level of security within the Schengen area, states must cooperate with law enforcement agencies in other Schengen countries, and they must connect to and use the Schengen Information System (SIS).[3] After a positive evaluation, the Schengen members of the Council of the European Union decides unanimously together with the European Parliament to accept the new member.

History

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While Bulgaria and Romania, which joined the EU on 1 January 2007, were legally bound to join the Schengen Area, implementation had been delayed. On 15 October 2010, Bulgaria and Romania joined SIS II for law enforcement cooperation.[4] On 9 June 2011, the Council of Ministers concluded that the evaluation process had been completed successfully and that the two countries fulfilled all technical accession criteria.[5] Bulgaria's and Romania's bids to join the Schengen Area were approved by the European Parliament in June 2011[6] but rejected by the Council of Ministers in September 2011, with the Dutch and Finnish governments citing concerns about shortcomings in anti-corruption measures and in the fight against organised crime.[7][8] Although the original plan was for the Schengen Area to open its air and sea borders with Bulgaria and Romania by March 2012, and its land borders by July 2012,[8] continued opposition from Germany, Finland and the Netherlands delayed the two countries' entry to the Schengen Area.[9][10] On 4 October 2017, the European Parliament voted for access of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen Information System,[11] on which they gained full access on 1 August 2018.[12] Moreover, "the final political decision whether the two countries can become part of the Schengen Area and stop systematic border checks with neighbouring EU countries must be taken unanimously by all sides of the European Council."[11] On 11 December 2018, the European Parliament voted for the resolution in favour of accepting both countries, requiring the Council of the European Union to "act swiftly" on the matter.[13][14] On 3 March 2022, Romanian MEP Eugen Tomac officially requested an answer through a parliamentary question regarding "what obstacles remain in the path of Romanian accession to the Schengen area 15 years after joining the EU" as fulfilment of the accession criteria was recognised on 9 June 2011.[15]

A second attempt for Romania's accession to Schengen was to be established in the Justice and Home Affairs Council from 8–9 December 2022, with the EC announcing the topics on the agenda of the meeting,[16] which failed following opposition by Austria,[17] as officials considered Bulgaria and Romania to be a transit route for most immigrants to the country.[18] Romania disputes that assessment,[19] and had unsuccessfully attempted to convince the Austrian government to vote for Romania's accession to Schengen.[20] Despite having declared support for Romania, the Netherlands also voted against due to its opposition for the accession of Bulgaria.[17]

In Romania, the Austrian veto caused strong indignation. As a result of the veto, relations between the two states were reduced following the withdrawal of Romania's ambassador to Austria from Vienna.[21] A boycott against Austria by Romanian companies, entrepreneurs, museums and universities also began,[22] and anti-Austrian inscriptions also appeared in branches of Austrian banks in Romania.[23]

According to Euractiv, European institutions prepared to admit Bulgaria and Romania in the Schengen Area in 2023, with border control-free travel by air planned for October 2023, followed by the abolition of land border controls by 1 January 2024.[24] In a resolution, which members of the European Parliament called on the Council to approve Romania and Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen free-travel area by the end of 2023, adopted on 12 July with 526 votes in favour, 57 votes against, and 42 abstaining, Parliament stresses that "both countries have already fulfilled the necessary requirements to be admitted into Schengen".[25] However, in September 2023 Austria reiterated its objection to admitting the countries to the Schengen Area.[26] In response, Romania threatened to challenge Austria's veto at the European Court of Justice to claim financial compensation.[27]

On 30 December 2023, Bulgaria and Romania's participation in Schengen Area was approved, with border controls lifted for air and sea travel on 31 March 2024.[28][29] Controls at land borders were retained, subject to further negotiations on lifting them the following year.[30] Opening air and sea borders is less controversial from a migrant control perspective, because airlines are required to check identity documents before boarding due to anti-terrorism legislation, even for routes within the same country. On 22 November 2024, Austria agreed to end its veto on lifting land border controls with Bulgaria and Romania.[31] On 27 November 2024, the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) finalised preparations for the Council of the European Union decision, which was made at a meeting on 12 December 2024, approving full participation of Bulgaria and Romania in the Schengen Area as of 1 January 2025.[32]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Timeline of Schengen enlargement
  2. ↑ "EU experts due in Cyprus to assess Schengen acquis implementation". Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  3. ↑ The Schengen area
  4. ↑ Council decision 29 June 2010 on the application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis relating to the Schengen Information System in the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania (2010/365/EU) Europa
  5. ↑ "Bulgaria and Romania to join Schengen area starting with air and sea borders: Commission welcomes landmark Council decision". European Commission – European Commission.
  6. ↑ "Schengen zone: Delay for Bulgaria and Romania to join". British Broadcasting Corporation. 9 June 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  7. ↑ Castle, Stephen (22 September 2011). "Europe Denies 2 Nations Entry to Travel Zone". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 24 September 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  8. 1 2 Robinson, Frances (22 September 2011). "Bulgaria, Romania Blocked From Travel Zone". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  9. ↑ Sutherland, Joe (22 April 2014). "Bulgaria made to wait for Schengen access". euroviews.eu. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  10. ↑ "Romania tells EU: 'We are ready for Schengen when you are'". euractiv.com. 5 December 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  11. 1 2 "EP Voted For "Access" of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen Visa Information System". Novinitem. Sofia News Agency.
  12. ↑ "32018D0934 – EN". EUR-Lex.
  13. ↑ "European Parliament Votes to Admit Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen Area". 11 December 2018.
  14. ↑ "Procedure File: 2018/2092(INI)". Legislative Observatory. European Parliament.
  15. ↑ "Question for written answer to the Council E-000901/2022 Rule 138 Eugen Tomac (PPE)". Europarl. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022. Given the importance of abolishing EU internal border controls as part of the European integration process, what obstacles remain in the path of Romanian accession to the Schengen area 15 years after joining the EU? Can Council explain why more progress has been made in this direction with Croatia, the newest EU Member State?
  16. ↑ "Aderarea României la Schengen va fi stabilită în Consiliul JAI din 8–9 decembrie. CE a anunțat temele de pe agenda reuniunii". Digi24 (in Romanian). 30 November 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  17. 1 2 "Nu intrăm în Schengen. Austria și Olanda au votat împotriva noastră". Digi24 (in Romanian). Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  18. ↑ "Ministrul austriac de Interne: "Are sens să includem Croația și să nu includem acum Bulgaria și România" în Schengen". Digi24 (in Romanian). 3 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  19. ↑ Ernst, Julian (7 December 2022). "Romania: Austria's objections on Schengen bid are factually incorrect". Romania Insider. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  20. ↑ Constanda, Ada (7 December 2022). "Întrebarea pusă de trei ori de presa română prezentă la Viena și la care cancelarul Nehammer n-a răspuns" [The question asked three times by the Romanian media present in Vienna and to which Chancellor Nehammer did not answer]. Libertatea (in Romanian). Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  21. ↑ Stan, Cosmin; Petcu, Iulia (10 December 2022). "Protest la cel mai înalt nivel al României față de Austria. Ciucă și Bode se contrazic în declarații" (in Romanian). Pro TV.
  22. ↑ Țaga, Maria (9 December 2022). "Românii se răzbună pe Austria. Ce companii sunt boicotate după refuzul Vienei de a ne accepta în Schengen". Adevărul (in Romanian).
  23. ↑ Lică, Ștefan (10 December 2022). "Inscripție anti-austriacă apărută pe peretele unei sucursale Raiffeisen Bank din Cluj. Reacția polițiștilor". Adevărul (in Romanian).
  24. ↑ "Bulgaria, Romania eye Schengen membership this year". www.euractiv.com. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  25. ↑ "Bulgaria and Romania should be in Schengen by end of 2023, says Parliament". EP. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  26. ↑ "Austria rejects EC's call to allow Romania, Bulgaria into Schengen". 14 September 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  27. ↑ COKELAERE, HANNE (15 September 2023). "Romania threatens Austria with lawsuit over stalled Schengen accession". Politico. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  28. ↑ "Schengen area: Controls at air and sea borders with Bulgaria and Romania will be lifted – European Commission". home-affairs.ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  29. ↑ "Press corner".
  30. ↑ HÜLSEMANN, LAURA (28 December 2023). "Romania, Bulgaria set to partially enter Schengen zone in March". Politico. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  31. ↑ "Joint Hungarian, Austrian, Romanian and Bulgarian Declaration". Joint Hungarian, Austrian, Romanian and Bulgarian Declaration. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  32. ↑ "Schengen: Council decides to lift land border controls with Bulgaria and Romania". Consilium. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
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