Netherlands Clears Path for Bulgaria’s Schengen Inclusion, Lifts Its Objection

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The Netherlands has lifted its opposition to Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen Zone, citing the country's fulfilment of necessary requirements.
• Austria, however, continues to block Bulgaria's and Romania's membership, proposing additional conditions and only-by-air accession.
• Bulgaria and Romania have long sought entry into the Schengen Area but face challenges related to irregular migration concerns.

Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen Zone will no longer be blocked by the Netherlands after the latter’s justice ministry has agreed to Sofia’s membership in the passport-free area.

Irregular migration concerns cited by the Netherlands led authorities in this country to oppose Bulgaria’s membership to the Schengen Zone and Austria.

However, the Dutch Justice Ministry recently emphasised that the country now meets all the needed requirements for this process to be finalised.

Bulgaria and Romania have been waiting for many years to become part of the passport-free travel zone, but irregular migration concerns led authorities in Austria to block this process.

The membership of these two Balkan countries was opposed by Austria on December 8 last year, while the country’s position on this issue remains unchanged.

During the meeting held on December 5, Austria’s Interior Minister, Gerhard Karner, said that the Schengen Zone should become “better, not bigger”.

But recently, Minister Karner proposed the following four conditions that would help the inclusion of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen Area, only for air travel:

A threefold increase in the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) mission in Bulgaria, with financial support for the enhancement of border protection infrastructure from the Commission.

Enhanced border surveillance measures at the borders between Romania and Bulgaria and those between Hungary and Romania.

Deployment of Austrian advisors to address document-related issues to work together with airport teams in both Romania and Bulgaria.

Reception of asylum seekers, with a focus on persons from Afghanistan and Syria, in both Bucharest and Sofia.

Vienna’s “Air Schengen” proposal would permit citizens of Romania and Bulgaria to travel to Schengen Zone countries by air without being obliged to pass through passport controls.

The proposal was also supported by the European Commission, which emphasised that talks to implement the proposal are underway.

“Things are moving in a positive direction, and that is definitely what is important at this stage.” a Commission spokesperson

However, Minister of Austria Gerhard Karner stressed that the rules might be loosened for air travel only, clarifying that land border crossing would still be restricted.

Austria’s proposal was welcomed by the Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, who considered it a successful conclusion.

We broke the ice! This means Romanians will no longer face long queues when flying within the EU. We have worked hard over the last few months to get to this point, and I am grateful to everyone who fought for Romania.

Ciolacu

But, Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov considered the proposal “unacceptable”.