Romania’s accession to the Schengen area would be a political success, but not an immediate economic success, according to an analysis by Austrian group Erste. The country’s weak road infrastructure would remain a problem, and removing the border controls would not change the overall image.

“The opening of the Romanian economy defined as the share of exports and imports to the GDP is lower than in other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, which makes Romania to be less affected by the fact that it is not a member of Schengen,” reads the Erste analysis, cited by local Ziarul Financiar.

Erste also analyzes the possible economic consequences of restricting the free movement within the Schengen area, for the countries in the euro zone, in the context of the refugees’ problem.

editor@romania-insider.com