Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen Admission: No Timetable Set

Discussions regarding the full entry of Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen area continue without a clear timetable. Following a meeting between Austrian Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in Bucharest on Thursday, the Austrian media reported on the ongoing deliberations.

Austria, a key player in the Schengen discussions, emphasized the need to assess the situation comprehensively before finalizing any entry plans. Chancellor Nehammer highlighted the importance of implementing additional measures to ensure the effectiveness of external border protection. He noted that Romania has received significantly fewer asylum applications compared to Austria, indicating a disproportionate burden on landlocked countries like Austria.

"We still bear the greater burden as a landlocked country. We need to think about how to effectively fight illegal migration routes, i.e., traffic channels. The further roadmap will be based on this," Chancellor Nehammer explained.

Yesterday, at the EPP congress in Bucharest, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Mariya Gabriel, stressed the urgency of Bulgaria and Romania joining the Schengen area, particularly by land, to enhance migration management capabilities. Gabriel highlighted Bulgaria's role in safeguarding the EU's external borders and outlined key priorities, including security in the Black Sea, border reinforcement, support for Ukraine, and energy security.

In addition, at the congress in Bucharest, GERB leader Boyko Borissov made a passionate plea for Austria to reconsider its decision blocking Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen accession via land borders. Borissov highlighted the issue's proximity to the conference venue,...