Romania, Bulgaria Near Full Access to Passport-Free EU Area
- Balkan nations sign deal with holdout Austria to join Schengen
- Some EU states opposed full entry, citing migration worries
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Romania and Bulgaria secured a deal that paves the way for full access to the European Union’s vast passport-free travel almost two decades after joining the bloc.
The two Balkan states signed an agreement on Friday with Austria, Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said on X. The government in Vienna had been the lone holdout that had blocked their entry over concerns about migration. EU interior ministers will hold a a final vote on Dec. 12 to approve the accession, which may take effect next year.