Romania and Bulgaria in Europe's limitless travel world

celebrations for admission to the Schengen area

The expansion officially came into force on Wednesday at midnight and was celebrated at some border crossings of the two countries. "Welcome to the Schengen area, Bulgaria and Romania!" wrote the European Parliament in a contribution on the X platform on Wednesday. "As of today, there will be no controls if you travel between Bulgaria or Romania and a Schengen member country," added.

symbolic act on the Danube bridge

The Interior Minister of Bulgaria and Romania symbolically raised a barrier sign on the Danube bridge, Reuters reported. This bridge, also known as a friendship bridge, connects the two countries and is a central traffic junction for international trade. Fireworks were also ignited near the Bulgarian border town of Ruse, where the bridge entered the country.

gradually integration into the Schengen area

The two former Soviet countries partially joined the Schengen area in March by eliminating the controls when traveling with aircraft and ships. However, the discussions about the controls at the land borders continued. However, the last hurdle for full membership was eliminated last month when Austria lifted a veto that had maintained it out of worry about the irregular migration, says Reuters.

meaning of the Schengen extension

The European Commission previously welcomed the expansion of the Schengen area and described it as a strengthening of the EU both internally and at a global level. The Schengen area now comprises 25 of the 27 EU member states, except for Cyprus and Ireland. Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are also part of the Schengen area.

Freedom of the movement for over 425 million citizens

According to the European Commission, the Schengen area enables the free movement of over 425 million EU citizens and non-EU citizens who are in the block or visit. This allows the citizens of the member states to travel, work and live without having to comply with special formalities. The Schengen area is considered the largest area of free movement in the world, according to the Commission.

challenges in the Schengen area

The system occasionally caused tensions between the member states, especially with regard to safety -related and migration policy questions. In September, Germany decided to temporarily introduce controls at all its land borders to take migration. The member states have the opportunity to temporarily reintroduce controls on the internal borders in the event of serious threats to public order or internal security.