Austria Floats Schengen Access for Romania, Bulgaria Flights
- Road travel would still be subject to strict border controls
- Romanian premier says proposal a ‘breakthrough’ after deadlock
Passengers at Vienna International Airport.
Photographer: Lisi Niesner/Bloomberg
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Austria may be willing to relax its veto on expanding the European Union’s passport-control-free Schengen zone to Romania and Bulgaria, proposing access for air travel to and from the two countries.
The government in Vienna had been the main impediment to an expansion as Chancellor Karl Nehammer puts immigration at the top of his policy agenda ahead of elections next year. His position has drawn criticism at home and abroad.