The European Union approves the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into “Air Schengen”

An agreement had been on the horizon since December, but last week, a new failure delayed the green light from the 27th meeting. It was officially obtained on the evening of Saturday, December 30, after Austria tiredly lifted its veto. Member states will partially open the doors of the Schengen Free Movement Area to Romania and Bulgaria. As of March 31, 2024, all internal border controls, both air and sea, will be removed for these two countries that have been members of the European Union (EU) since 2007 and candidates for accession to the Schengen Area since 2011. March 31, 2024 dates back to this date. Nothing is to chance. It corresponds to the transition from winter schedules to those planned for summer by the International Air Transport Association.

What about suspending controls on land borders, which is the most important and politically burdensome decision of all, since flows are greater across these borders?…