site.btaCouncil of the EU to Discuss Bulgaria and Romania's Implementation of Schengen Acquis

The Council of the EU will discuss at a meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday the state of the implementation of the Schengen acquis by Bulgaria and Romania. Caretaker Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov will participate in a regular meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council to present Bulgaria's contribution to the security of the free movement zone, the Interior Ministry reported.

The interior ministers will discuss the general state of the Schengen area. The European Commission will present a report on Schengen with data from the last two years. The document will outline the threats to the common area without border controls. The forum will also discuss the issue of increasing the resilience of the EU's external borders.

The Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU will present data on the state of play of the full implementation of the Schengen acquis in Bulgaria and Romania, per the meeting agenda. It is noted that Bulgaria and Romania were admitted to Schengen by a decision of the Council on December 30, 2023. Since the spring of 2024, checks at the sea and air Schengen borders of the two countries have been abolished, while EU Council did not reach the necessary unanimity for a decision to end checks at the land borders as well.

On Wednesday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban proposed that a decision on Bulgaria and Romania's full membership in the Schengen area be approved by the end of the year. He noted that Austria has not yet changed its position and remains the only Member State not ready to secure the necessary unanimity for a further decision.