<h6><strong>Ane Barcos/Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Spanish Government has celebrated this Thursday the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area of free movement of people and goods, “a path initiated during the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU”.</strong></h4> The land border controls between Bulgaria, Romania and the rest of the countries of the Schengen area were officially eliminated this Wednesday, January 1, 2025, completing the integration of both countries into the free movement zone and guaranteeing their citizens full freedom of movement within this area. “Romania and Bulgaria are already part of the Schengen area, a path initiated during the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU that is completed today,” declared the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through social networks “We continue to advance in a stronger and more united EU for the benefit of our citizens,” it added. The decision – extending freedom of movement to 29 European countries with 450 million people – was adopted unanimously on 12 December by the EU interior ministers, who agreed to abolish controls at internal land borders, thus completing the process of full integration of Bulgaria and Romania into Schengen. The interior ministers of Romania and Bulgaria, Cătălin Predoiu and Atanas Ilkov, marked the removal of controls at the land border between their countries with an event at the Giurgiu-Ruse border crossing. Predoiu noted the importance of the event, saying it has both political and practical implications for citizens and businesses in both countries, as well as for Europe in general. “It is a historic moment with significant consequences for every Romanian citizen, for Romanian and Bulgarian businesses, and for our nations,” he said. For his part, Ilkov stressed the role of cooperation between the two countries in achieving this joint achievement. “There was not only institutional trust between Romania and Bulgaria, we were true partners, and thanks to this we can celebrate this moment,” he said. The path to full accession began in December 2023, with the elimination of controls at internal air and sea borders. Subsequently, in March 2024, Bulgaria and Romania stopped carrying out controls at these borders. The elimination of land controls now culminates this process, consolidating their incorporation into the free movement zone. The decision in December was made possible after an agreement reached in Budapest, at a meeting organised by Hungary and attended by the Ministers of the Interior of Austria, Bulgaria and Romania. This meeting made it possible to overcome the Austrian veto that for years blocked the entry of both countries, due to concerns about the capacity of the system to effectively manage migration. The agreement included specific commitments, such as greater collaboration to prevent the irregular transit of migrants and ensure more efficient border management. In addition, Bulgaria and Romania agreed to implement effective returns of irregular migrants and maintain temporary border controls with Hungary for at least six months as a preventive measure against possible changes in migration flows.
