site.btaEC Will Continue to Convince Austria Bulgaria and Romania's Readiness to Fully Join Schengen

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in response to a question at a press conference after the end of the European Council meeting on Thursday, that the EC will continue to strengthen the EU's borders and convince Austria that Bulgaria and Romania have achieved what it takes to be fully in Schengen. 

The EC has been convinced for years that Bulgaria and Romania are ready for Schengen, she added. It was helpful that in recent months there were several EU-funded projects to strengthen the borders in Bulgaria and Romania, Von der Leyen said. Verification missions were undertaken, leading to the first step in persuading Austria to drop checks on sea and air borders, she added.

According to the decision of the Council of the EU of December 30, 2023, border checks at Bulgaria and Romania's  sea and air borders with Schengen for are to be abolished from March 31. Austria was the only country in the EU that opposed the proposal to extend this to all borders, with the EC calling for a positive decision on this issue "within a reasonable period of time".