Bulgaria, Romania welcome full integration into Schengen
The Republic of Bulgaria and Romania strongly welcome the decision adopted unanimously on December 12, by the EU’s Justice and Home Affairs Council, on completing the process of full integration of the two countries into the Schengen zone, the foreign ministries in Sofia and Bucharest said in a joint statement.
“It is a historic decision that completes the process of accession of the two countries to the area of free movement within EU, a major objective of both the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania since their accession to the European Union,” the joint statement said.
Through the formal adoption of the December 12 decision, January 1 2025 is becoming officially the date for the lifting of checks on persons at internal land borders with and between the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania, it said.
The statement said that accession to the free-movement area of both countries brings direct benefits for their citizens, will enhance economic opportunities for their businesses, and will also promote growth within the Single Market.
The European Commission (EC) welcomed the decision in a statement on December 12: “This important step completes the full entry of both countries into the Schengen area”.
“This not only strengthens the Schengen area but it will further strengthen the internal market, increase travel, trade and tourism. A robust Schengen area reinforces the EU’s unity and makes the EU stronger at a global scale.”
Boiko Borissov, a former Prime Minister and leader of Parliament’s largest group, GERB-UDF, said on Facebook: “Bulgaria’s entry into Schengen is a great success for our country, for which a number of governments have been working.
“Bulgaria has long fulfilled the Schengen entry criteria. The free movement of people, goods and capital is one of the main pillars of economic and political cooperation within the European Union,” Borissov said.
Nikolai Denkov, who was Prime Minister in 2023 when EU ministers admitted the Bulgarian and Romanian air and sea ports to Schengen, described the December 12 decision as “a hard-won political victory for Bulgaria”.
“Today confirms that Bulgaria is Europe and Europe is Bulgaria,” Denkov, head of the We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria parliamentary group, told the National Assembly.
Denkov said that it was only when his cabinet began fighting corruption, and in 2022 Bulgaria included anti-corruption measures in the Recovery and Resilience Plan to ensure that there would be progress, only then did then-Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte give a sign that the Netherlands could open Bulgaria’s door to Schengen.
“In less than a year, we won enormous political support from European leaders. It was during our governance in 2023 that we convinced the Netherlands and Austria to lift their veto,” Denkov said.
Denkov told Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of the pro-Russian party Vuzrazhdane, to stop lying about illegal migrants who will flood Bulgaria.
“You should stop scaring people, because a year ago you were explaining how migrants would flood Bulgaria. Where are these migrants? In your imagination,” Denkov said.
Kostadinov described Bulgaria’s admission to Schengen as “dangerous”.
“Bulgaria becomes the first host country for every migrant,” Kostadinov said.
“Bulgaria’s entry into Schengen is not something we should be proud of. It is something we should be afraid of,” he said. “The humiliation for us is very great.”
Bulgarian President Roumen Radev said on X: “Bulgaria has achieved one of its strategic goals by joining Schengen, which is of significant importance for its citizens and for the development of the Bulgarian economy.
“I congratulate all those who have made a real contribution to this achievement,” Radev said.
(Photo: Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
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