European Economic Area

Romania and Bulgaria are poised to enter the Schengen zone via air and sea borders in March 2024, as announced by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Quoting the BTA, the Ministry affirms that a political consensus was recently reached with Austria and Bulgaria, aiming to extend Schengen territories to include Romania and Bulgaria through air and sea access.

Romania and Bulgaria have reached an agreement with Austria to join the European Schengen area of free movement by sea and air in March 2024, the Romanian government said Wednesday.

"After 13 years, Romania is finally going to join Schengen! We have a political agreement on this," Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu wrote on Facebook.

Recent data from Eurostat unveils a significant downturn in Bulgaria's construction industry, showcasing a more pronounced dip compared to the EU's overall production metrics. The released statistics for October 2023 highlight a 1% decrease in construction production in Bulgaria as opposed to a 0.4% decrease across the EU during the same period.

EU countries and lawmakers reached an agreement yesterday on an overhaul of the bloc's laws on handling asylum-seekers and migrants, officials said.

Eurostat's recent data release for 2022 spotlights the profound economic contrasts existing within the European Union, shedding light on the stark disparities between affluent and struggling nations.

The European Union reached agreement early on Wednesday on new rules designed to share out the cost and work of hosting migrants more evenly and to limit the numbers of people coming in.

Bulgaria has met the conditions to join Europe's passport-free Schengen area by strengthening its borders and efforts to combat illegal migration, the Netherlands said Friday, as Sofia took one step closer to joining.

"The European Union is ready to conclude the initial phase of the accession negotiations for North Macedonia as soon as the country fulfills its commitment to accept the constitutional amendments," stated the adopted conclusions on enlargement, Ukraine and reforms from the EU summit.

The European Council calls on North Macedonia to accelerate the completion of these changes.

The Netherlands is on the brink of deciding Bulgaria's fate regarding Schengen membership, as Prime Minister Mark Rutte indicated during his arrival in Brussels today. Rutte, set to participate in the "EU-Western Balkans" summit and the European Council, emphasized that a verdict on Bulgaria's Schengen accession is imminent.

Violation of EU sanctions will be criminalized in the Union.

The Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Parliament have concluded negotiations on European legislation that would introduce criminal acts and penalties for violating sanctions. The directive ensures that those who breach or circumvent the restrictive measures will be prosecuted.