The 27 give their approval to the full entry of Romania and Bulgaria into Schengen from January 1

BRUSSELS Nov. 27 () –

This Wednesday, the Twenty-Seven gave their approval to the full entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen borderless area as of next January 1, an integration that these two countries have been waiting for for more than a decade with the endorsement of Brussels. but that was still pending because it needed the unanimity of the rest of the partners in the EU.

The political agreement has been made clear in a meeting at the level of ambassadors in Brussels but cannot be formalized until the next meeting of Ministers of the Interior and Justice on December 12 and 13, since a parliamentary issue remains to be resolved in the Netherlands that European sources describe Europa Press as pure formalism.

In fact, the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has already celebrated in a message on social networks the “important moment” that this Wednesday’s agreement represents because it will mean the end of the land borders of Romania and Bulgaria with the rest of the Schengen partners. “as of January 1, 2025.”

“The Justice and Interior Council in December will formalize this legitimate and long-awaited decision by all Romanian citizens,” Iohannis highlighted in his brief statement.

The decision to enter Schengen requires the unanimous agreement of European governments, but reservations from the Netherlands and Austria frustrated its entry in recent years, despite reports from Brussels certifying that the two countries more than meet the criteria for their accession.

The first obstacle was overcome in December 2023, with a first agreement for the gradual entry into the borderless space, first in air and maritime access starting in March of this year and leaving the door open to the end of more land borders. move forward, but without a clear calendar because Austria’s refusal persisted.

Finally, in an agreement sponsored by the current presidency of the EU that Hungary holds this semester, Austria, Romania and Bulgaria announced last Friday an agreement in principle for their definitive and full entry starting next year. The agreement, in which the European Commission also participated, includes commitments to combat irregular migration and accelerate deportations.