16:22 - 12.12.2024

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December 12, Fineko/abc.az. Romania and Bulgaria will fully join the Schengen area on January 1, 2025.

ABC.AZ reports that this decision was made by the EU Council on December 12.

This became possible after Austria announced on Monday that it was lifting its veto on expansion of the Schengen area.

Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007. By 2010, they had fulfilled all the technical criteria for joining the Schengen area, but faced resistance from Austria due to fears of illegal migration.

In March 2024, Bulgaria and Romania became participants in the "air" Schengen – passport control with other 27 countries of the agreement on air and sea borders was canceled. But control remained on the land borders.

In November, Romania and Bulgaria signed a "border protection pact" with Hungary, after which Vienna agreed to include new countries in the Schengen area.