Romania and Bulgaria: full of Schengen accession from 2025 decided!

Romania and Bulgaria: full of Schengen accession from 2025 decided!

A historical step for Europe: from January 1, 2025, Bulgaria and Romania will completely join the Schengen area. This decision was made unanimously by the interior ministers of the EU member states and marks an important progress, since no controls have been held on air and sea races since March of this year. Karlheinz Kopf, General Secretary of the Economic Chamber of Austria (WKÖ), described this development as "good news for Austria's economy" and a crucial step towards strengthening the European inland market. According to the head, Romania and Bulgaria are significant partners for the Austrian economy, since Austria is the second largest foreign investor in both countries, which strengthens the connections between the markets, as well as reported.

The complete Schengen accession will significantly improve economic cooperation, especially through the elimination of border controls. This is particularly advantageous for over 30,000 self-employed people: inside from both countries that are essential for the 24-hour care system in Austria. With around 15 billion euros in direct investments, Austria is a leading investor in the region. The Austrian exports to Bulgaria and Romania have increased by impressive 111 percent since 2013, which underlines the importance of these markets. Despite the decline in exports in the first nine months of 2024, free trade is of the greatest importance for the Austrian economy, since according to ots.at without checks is an essential economic factor.

The accession to the border control -free zone was long controversial, since Austria had previously expressed concerns about the high number of irregular migrants on the Balkan route. But after a year of intensive negotiations and a compromise, complete integration can now take place. This is not only a triumph for Romania and Bulgaria, but also means a safer and more united Europe, as the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, emphasized. The challenges of asylum policy, in particular with regard to Syrian refugees, are also discussed in the upcoming consultations of the Interior Minister what the political agenda revives.