The reason for this late entry
As member states of the European Union (UE) since 2007, Bulgaria and Romania have obtained full access to the Schengen area after years of opposition from several member states. Some of these state include the Netherlands, Austria, Finland and Denmark. This debate has-been going on since 2007, despite the fact that these two countries have met the technical criteria for border security, passport control and surveillance systems. The Netherlands have been one of the main opponents. They have expressed concerns about corruption and the state of the justice system of these countries. Bulgaria and Romania have often been criticised for not having done enough to fight corruption. Opponents of their accession also added their concerns about border security. This particularly regards their management of borders with countries outside the European Union in terms of controlling migration and combating transnational crime. The management of migratory flows was a real problem raised in the debates. Being countries located at strategic transit points for migrants, the opponents feared a fast integration of these countries. Therefore, it would have complicated the management of migrations in Europe.
A step forward for the European union
The 27 member states had already agreed unanimously on the 30th of December 2023. However, in January 2025 land border controls will be officially lifted. The European Union’s free movement zone now extends to 4,5 million km2 and a population of 450 million. The European commission believes that this will have a positive impact on travel, trade and tourism. Also, it will make the European Union stronger internally and on the world stage. This goal has been the main one since the last Treaty of Lisbon in 2009. Von Der Leyen affirms that this is a historic moment and a source of great pride for the Romanian and Bulgarian citizens.
Kosovo : the last of the six balkan countries
Since the 1st of January 2024, a visa waiver scheme allows Kosovo nationals to travel within the Schengen area. This is possible without a visa if they stay from 90 to 180 days. According to the commission, in 2018 Kosovo already met the necessary criteria for visa liberalisation, particularly in terms of borders and migration. This would make Kosovo a potential candidate for future EU membership.
