Bulgaria and Romania have received permission to join Europe’s passport- and visa-free Schengen Area, starting in March. The move initially will apply only to travellers arriving by air and sea, while Austria has committed to continuing negotiations over the need for border checks when crossing from the two countries by land.

Austria previously blocked Bulgaria’s and Romania’s entry into the Schengen Area over concerns about illegal immigration but reached an agreement in principle with the two fellow European Union members.

“Negotiations with Austria will be combined with substantial support from the European Commission to protect the EU’s external borders with Turkey and Serbia in order to reduce the flow of illegal migrants to Europe,“ Denkov added.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu confirmed the admission of his country into the border-free travel zone. “We have a political agreement on this!” he said in a post on Facebook.

The Schengen Area was established in 1985. Before Bulgaria and Romania’s partial admission, it was comprised 23 out of the 27 EU member countries, along with Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.

Austria vetoed Romania and Bulgaria’s admission into the group of European countries at the end of 2022, but at the same time allowed Croatia – the EU’s newest member – full accession. Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU in 2007 and Croatia in 2013.

Ciolacu said efforts would continue next year to fully join the Schengen Area. “Lifting the air and maritime borders in March 2024 is a right won after long negotiations, but things won’t stop there,” he said.