site.btaUPDATED Bulgarian, Romanian, Austrian Interior Ministers Sign Declaration Supporting Bulgaria, Romania Accession to Schengen by Land

Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and Austria issued a joint statement regarding the full accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen Area by January, including land borders. It can be viewed on the official profile of the Hungarian Presidency of the EU on the social platform "X" on Friday.

The statement says that on November 22, 2024, the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council, along with Romania, Bulgaria, and Austria, acknowledged the progress in curbing illegal migration to Europe and these countries, and agreed on the following:

Sustained Efforts Against Illegal Migration

The countries pledged to continue their joint endeavours to combat illegal migration to Europe and within their territories, adhering to the principles set out in their joint statement from December 2023.

Prevention of Migrant Transit

Measures will be strengthened to prevent the unauthorized transit of migrants through their territories, ensuring smooth returns and transfers in line with existing agreements.

Adaptation to Migratory Changes

To address potential shifts in migration patterns due to the removal of internal borders, temporary internal border checks will be introduced for at least six months at the land borders between Hungary and Romania, and Romania and Bulgaria. These checks, in accordance with Article 25a (4) and (5) of the Schengen Borders Code, aim to safeguard public policy and internal security.

Solidarity and Support for Border Protection

The statement emphasizes solidarity in supporting Bulgaria’s protection of the EU's external land border with Türkiye. A multinational police contingent comprising 100 officers from Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania will be deployed.

The statement also recognizes measurable progress in reducing irregular migration. Data from 2024 indicates a significant decrease in illegal entries: 47% in Bulgaria, 53% in Romania, and 67% in Austria, along with notable reductions in asylum applications. These successes are credited to enhanced border surveillance, increased Frontex support, improved Dublin cooperation, and investments in border infrastructure and technology.

The concluding statement commits the countries to initiating the necessary steps by the end of 2024 for an official EU Council decision to lift internal border checks between Bulgaria, Romania, and the rest of the Schengen Area.

The Council decision is expected to be taken at the meeting of interior ministers on December 12 in Brussels. Land border control is to be abolished on January 1, 2025.

Reactions

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the positive outcome of informal discussions in Budapest on Friday, following the meeting of the interior ministers of Bulgaria, Romania, Austria, and Hungary. “Bulgaria and Romania belong fully to the Schengen area. Removing internal controls at land borders is the last hurdle. The EU Council formal decision is next. Let 2025 see Schengen become stronger,” Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola also welcomed Friday's positive development on Romania and Bulgaria fully joining the Schengen area. In her words, MEPs have led this call from day one. “A stronger Schengen means a stronger Europe. I look forward to a final decision in the coming days,” she said on X.

Hungarian Interior Minister Sandor Pinter said there is a chance of Romania and Bulgaria fully joining Schengen from January 1, 2025.

Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner Friday acknowledged, as quoted by the Bulgarian Interior Ministry in a press release, that Bulgaria and Romania contribute significantly to the security of the Schengen area and have not allowed any changes in the security environment after the lifting of controls at air and sea borders. 

Bulgarian Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov told his colleagues and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, as quoted by his Ministry: "Bulgaria has made a great effort to fulfil the responsible task of ensuring a high level of security in the Schengen area. Actions at national level, joint work with Romania and all European partners and strategic cooperation with Turkiye have led to lasting results that give greater security to EU citizens." 

Approached for comment, caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev said that the steps toward Schengen accession were clear from the start, and the final decision will be made on December 12. "So far, everything is going as planned. At the meeting of the interior ministers, Bulgaria and Romania's progress in tackling illegal migration was acknowledged. However, it's important to note that these efforts involve the entire European Union, not just Bulgaria and Romania," Glavchev added. Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary will collaborate to uphold the migration flow model's integrity after border controls are lifted, Glavchev said. He also noted that advanced video surveillance systems will be installed at the border to further improve security.

Later in the day, he told Bulgarian National Television that Bulgaria's accession to Schengen by land will ease the burden on Bulgarian citizens and companies. According to Glavchev, one of the important changes will be that there will be no queues of vehicles, either passenger or heavy, at the border control checkpoints. All Bulgarian citizens will be relieved, and not only Bulgarian ones, because many of the heavy freight vehicles come from the direction of Turkiye, which travel to Romania via the two bridges over the Danube, he added. In Glavchev's words, not only Bulgaria and Romania but also the other Member States deserve a round of applause. He said that it was a joint effort that had led to a 70% drop in attempts to illegally enter Bulgaria through this border and a 46% drop in those caught entering Bulgaria in some way.Glavchev pointed out that these are objective criteria and it is with these criteria that Bulgaria has impressed its partners to have such a positive report. People will evaluate who has done what, Glavchev added. "We cannot forget that we were technically ready for Schengen already under the third government of Boyko Borissov and back then it was already a matter of political decisions of our various partners, and we entered by air and water under the government of Nikolay Denkov, so all those who have made efforts in this direction should be congratulated," the caretaker Prime Minister added. It is now a matter of luck to whom the last step will happen, Glavchev added. 

Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, Director of the Border Police Directorate General, told journalists that it will be a relief for citizens when Bulgaria is accepted in Schengen, but for people who commit criminal activities the controls will remain. Zlatanov explained that Bulgaria's two borders with Greece and Romania will not remain uncontrolled upon Bulgaria's accession to Schengen. “We will continue to strictly implement our obligations to counter illegal migration, to counter the smuggling of drugs and other prohibited goods and items. Our role here is to carry out risk analysis and checks, to carry out controls that will be in the border area, not at the checkpoint, and in a way that we deem relevant,” Zlatanov added. “We have been an extremely good partner in recent years, extremely open to exchanges under the Schengen information system. European Union Member States, but also our other partners outside the EU, are extremely satisfied,” the Chief Commissioner said. He added that the institutions will gradually reorganize their work to ensure the security of citizens by increasing analytical and operational intelligence activities.