Bulgaria and Romania Edge Towards Full Schengen Membership by 2025

Bulgaria and Romania may become full members of the Schengen travel zone by 2025 after a meeting of interior ministers. Austria lifted its opposition to their entry. The final decision is anticipated in December, contingent on border security measures.

Hungarian officials announced on Friday that Bulgaria and Romania could achieve full membership in Europe's Schengen travel zone at the start of 2025. This development follows a significant diplomatic meeting in Budapest, where Austrian opposition to the countries' entry was lifted.

Having joined the EU in 2007, Bulgaria and Romania have awaited complete integration into the borderless Schengen area. While maritime and air border checks were lifted in March, land border checks persisted due to Austria's concerns over illegal migration. The resolution of these concerns marks a pivotal step forward.

Among the highlights of the meeting was the announcement by Hungary's Interior Minister Sandor Pinter. Emphasizing the advancement, he noted that both nations, with external EU borders, are poised to finalize this process by year's end, contingent on deploying additional border security to the Bulgaria-Turkiye frontier.

(With inputs from agencies.)