On the same day that the EU Council gave the green light to Croatia’s accession to the Schengen area, from 1 January next year, Bulgaria and Romania, two countries that have been waiting for approval for more than a decade 27 , again failed to achieve the necessary unanimity in the Council today, because Vienna vetoed the entry of both countries and the Dutch of Bulgaria.
The decisions were taken today at a meeting of EU interior ministers in Brussels, and the European Commission expressed its regret that, despite repeated claims that Bulgaria and Romania meet all the requirements for joining the free movement zone, their entry is still blocked.
“Today is a big day for the citizens of Croatia, welcome to Schengen. To the citizens of Bulgaria and Romania, I say this: they deserve to be an integral part of the Schengen area. I will support every step that will be taken to achieve this goal during my mandate,” said EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.
With today’s green light, Croatia, a country of about 3.5 million people, will no longer have internal borders with other Schengen countries, becoming the 27th member of the free movement zone.
Sofia and Bucharest faced their membership being blocked in 2011, then by the Netherlands and Finland, and have been waiting for a green light for more than a decade, despite repeated positive feedback from the European Commission and the European Parliament.
Last month, shortly after the Commission issued its latest recommendation to open the Schengen area to Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, Austria, one of the European destinations and transit points for migrants entering Europe via the so-called Balkan route, announced its decision . objection, considering the extension of the Schengen Agreement “inappropriate”.
The Schengen Free Movement Area allows citizens to travel within the area without a passport, and controls are lifted, although there are temporary exceptions.
This zone currently includes 26 countries representing 420 million inhabitants, of which 22 are EU member states, including Portugal, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Once Croatia’s accession is completed, within a few weeks, besides Romania and Bulgaria, the only non-Schengen EU member states will be Ireland and Cyprus.
