European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Ylva Johansson has expressed optimism that Bulgaria and Romania may no longer have internal land borders within the Schengen Area by the end of 2024.
Optimism for Bulgaria, Romania’s Schengen
Johansson mentioned in talks with journalists in Luxembourg that both countries have met the required standards for full membership in the Schengen Area.
The main goal now is to remove internal land border checks, which Johansson believes will happen by the end of this year.
Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden agreed, highlighting the importance of a Schengen Area without internal border checks.
European Parliament seeks border check abolition
The European Parliament wants to abolish land border checks for Bulgaria and Romania by the end of this year to prevent long lines of trucks at their borders.
While sea and air controls were lifted on March 31, land border checks are still in place.
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) argued that hundreds of trucks are delayed every day at European Union (EU) borders. This affects drivers’ health and working conditions, road safety, and trucking companies.
They suggested a new rule to limit truck inspections at EU borders to one minute per vehicle and to let drivers use smaller border crossings in certain situations.
Unclear accession dates challenge Bulgaria, Romania
Even though Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU’s passport-free travel zone in January, the Council of the European Union said that the date for removing land border checks would be decided after March 31st.
Since river borders are treated as land borders, controls on the Danube River between Bulgaria and Romania are still in place.
Members of the Petitions Committee in the European Parliament have asked the EU to solve the problem of long truck lines at EU borders.
They want Bulgaria and Romania to fully join the passport-free zone by mid-2024.
Austrian economist and politician Gunther Fehlinger suggested that land border checks for both countries should have ended by May 1st, 2024.
Schengen exclusion costs Bulgaria, Romania
Staying outside the Schengen Area has caused significant financial losses for both Bulgaria and Romania.
Bulgarian businesses have lost at least €1 billion because of border delays, and Romania has reported losses of €2.41 billion for the same reasons, according to the National Union of Road Hauliers from Romania (UNTRR).
The goal is to fully integrate Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen Area by the end of 2024 to solve these problems and make trade and travel easier within the European Union.
As the EU works towards this goal, it is important to see how quickly and effectively the necessary changes will be made to support the logistics sector and improve border processes.
Easier EU travel ahead
Fully integrating Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen Area will benefit visitors and immigrants in the EU.
Although the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) will start checking travelers from visa-exempt countries before they enter the Schengen Area in mid-2025, removing internal land borders will make travel easier for those already in the EU.
This change will help many types of travelers, such as families, investors, digital nomads, and students, as they move between member states.
Balancing EU security and travel
As the EU works to fully integrate Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen Area, it needs to balance improving border security and making travel within the EU easy.
The ETIAS system, starting in mid-2025, will help by checking travelers from visa-exempt countries to increase security.
Removing internal land borders for Bulgaria and Romania will make the EU more connected and unified, supporting the goals of the Schengen Area and the Union’s immigration policies.
Bulgaria, Romania’s Schengen path
As the EU works to fully integrate Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen Area, the next few months will be important for solving the challenges these countries face.
With the support of the European Parliament and EU officials, the goal of smooth travel and trade across the EU’s internal borders seems achievable.
Source link : https://etias.com/articles/eu-aims-full-schengen-integration-bulgaria-romania-2024
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Publish date : 2024-06-20 07:00:00
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