Schengen

Today, the European Commission presented a new report on the state of the Schengen area, in which it once again expresses its support for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen by the end of the year, BTA reported.

The last border checks in Croatia have been abolished after the country's accession to Schengen.

Internal border control at Croatian airports for flights from member countries of the free movement area was lifted.

Relative energy security alongside accession to the Eurozone and Schengen area are cause for cautious optimism in Croatia. But concerns remain on the political front.

There is no change in Austria's position on Bulgaria's accession to Schengen, the Austrian Chancellor announced before his visit to Bulgaria.

Karl Nehammer and Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner arrive in Bulgaria today. They have a meeting with President Rumen Radev, with whom they will visit the Bulgarian-Turkish border together.

"We support the membership of Bulgaria and Romania in Schengen, because the Balkan countries play a very important role for us," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, told the plenary hall of the European Parliament.

"Romania has no chance of entering Schengen in 2023", said the leader of the Romanian People's Movement Party (PMP) and member of the European Parliament, Eugen Tomac, in an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI). According to him, the government in Bucharest should consider suing the Court of the European Union, BTA reported.

The Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union has invited the Ministers of Internal Affairs of Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania to Prague on September 13 to discuss the accession of the three Balkan countries to the Schengen Area, SchengenVisaInfo.com reported citing Romanian MP Rares Bogdan.

Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania meet all the technical requirements for the Schengen area, the German chancellor said, quoted by Reuters. "I will work for these countries to become full members", added Olaf Scholz.

Sweden will lift its advice against non-essential travel to 10 European countries from June 30, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

The countries are Greece, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, France, Iceland, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg.

The German Federal Minister of Interior, Horst Seehofer has decided to lift the majority of existing border controls at the internal borders on June 15, after estimating that the level of the Coronavirus pandemic allows such a step to be taken.