Austria drops veto, paving way for Romania and Bulgaria to join Schengen fully

Austria has withdrawn its opposition to Romania and Bulgaria becoming full members of Europe's Schengen free-travel area, the country's interior minister Gerhard Karner announced. This decision clears the way for European Union interior ministers to approve the move at their meeting on Thursday, December 12.

Romania and Bulgaria, both EU and NATO members, had partially joined Schengen in March under an agreement with Austria. At the time, Austria objected to their full entry, citing insufficient efforts to curb illegal immigration.

Although air and maritime border controls between these countries and the 27-member Schengen zone were lifted earlier this year, land border negotiations with Austria extended into 2024.

"After 'Schengen Air,' 'Schengen Land' is now open to Romania and Bulgaria," said Austria's interior minister Gerhard Karner in a statement quoted by Mediafax.

Karner attributed Austria's earlier stance to a significant drop in illegal crossings at its border with Hungary, the most common route for migrants. He reported a decrease from 70,000 interceptions by October last year to 4,000 over the same period this year.

"Without this veto, this massive reduction in illegal border crossings would not have happened," Karner added.

In related news, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has called on the Council of the European Union to set a definitive date for lifting land border controls between Bulgaria, Romania, and other Schengen Member States by the end of this year.

"Granting full Schengen status to Bulgaria and Romania will also benefit the EU single market, as any limitations on freedom of movement within the EU adversely affect EU competitiveness and hamper its economic growth," the EESC said in its press release.

The same source noted that the final decision is expected to be made during the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting on December 12. If approved, Bulgaria and Romania, which are the only two EU Member States in continental Europe that are only partially included in the borderless Schengen regime, would achieve full membership starting January 1, 2025.