The decision was made possible after Austria and the Netherlands lifted their vetoes.
"It is a historic moment to welcome Bulgaria and Romania as full Schengen members. The abolition of checks on persons at internal land borders with and between these countries was a top priority of the Hungarian Presidency and today we have made it a reality. This step will benefit not only Bulgarian and Romanian citizens, but also the EU as a whole," said Sándor Pinter, Minister of the Interior of Hungary.
Bulgaria and Romania will continue to carry out random checks at their Schengen borders for another six months.
BGNES recalls that Bulgaria and Romania joined Schengen, by air and water, in March 2024, but land border checks remained. On 22 November, Austria signed an agreement with Bulgaria and Romania for their full accession to Schengen on 1 January next year. | BGNES
