Romania and Bulgaria Granted Entry into EU’s Schengen Zone

Seventeen years after their accession to the European Union, Romania and Bulgaria have received approval to join the EU’s passport-free Schengen travel area. This decision by fellow EU member states means that, effective 1 January 2025, individuals will be able to drive to destinations such as France, Spain, or Norway without requiring a passport. This development brings significant relief to the 25 million inhabitants of Romania and Bulgaria, who will finally feel fully integrated into the EU. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen characterized the event as a “day of joy”. Although border checks for air and sea travel for both nations were abolished last March, it was only last month that Austria withdrew its opposition to lifting land border controls. However, for commercial truck drivers, the administrative burden at borders is not yet resolved. Hungary is expected to continue inspecting every truck and its documentation for at least six months at the primary Romania-Hungary border crossing at Nadlac. Bulgaria has constructed a new truck parking facility and an electronic barrier at Ruse, situated next to the bridge across the Danube to Romania, imposing a fee of €25 (£20) per truck. Additionally, “temporary” border controls have been implemented across the continent by countries concerned about a surge in illegal migration. The Schengen zone, which originated in 1985, now includes most EU nations as well as several non-EU countries, such as Norway and Switzerland. The United Kingdom has never been part of Schengen, though visitors from the UK can currently enter the zone without a visa for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Hours before the EU’s announcement, Hungarian and Romanian border police were discreet when the reporter crossed from Hungary into Romania. A Hungarian official, with a grin, stated, “We’ll find out the details tomorrow.” The complexities, however, may lie in these details. Ovidiu Dabija set off for the border at dawn, having maneuvered his SUV, towing a 31ft-long Sterk powerboat, from a yard in Timisoara, the main city in western Romania. He transports the powerboat from its base in Germany to various boat shows, having been in Athens last week and planning to head to the manufacturer’s facility near Nuremberg next week. “Romania joining Schengen is going to save me hours at each border crossing,” he told me in a lay-by beside the Nadlac crossing. Radu Dinescu, head of the Romanian Road-Haulers’ Association, reported, “Our drivers lose at least 12 hours at each border crossing,” adding, “The worst wait was five days at the Hungary-Romania border.” He estimates that the Romanian road transport industry suffered losses of €19bn between 2012 and 2023 due to border delays, which subsequently led to increased prices for consumers. Dinescu indicated that “The main beneficiaries from 1 January will be the cars and private persons,” although these individuals will still be subject to random controls. For trucks, he foresees little immediate change. The primary challenge for truck drivers, he explained, is that all vehicle inspections—ranging from weighing to permits, load-checking, sanitary and environmental examinations, and searches for illegal migrants—occur directly at the border. In contrast, in other countries already within the Schengen zone, such checks are conducted more swiftly and efficiently in dedicated motorway vehicle parks located away from the border. Radu Dinescu attributes the ongoing border pressures to the failure of successive Romanian governments to negotiate new arrangements with neighboring countries. He references an EU regulation from 2008 that mandates the removal of truck weight and dimension controls from border crossings between EU member states. This regulation has not been implemented at the Romanian border with Hungary or the Romanian border with Bulgaria, a situation he attributes to competition between rival inspectorates. The head of the Romanian Road-Haulers’ Association emphasizes that the issue encompasses not only trade but also investment. When BMW was considering Hungary and Romania as potential sites for a new car factory, the waiting times at the Romania-Hungary border inexplicably increased. BMW subsequently chose the Hungarian city of Debrecen. Dacia Renault, Romania’s largest carmaker, experiences constant delays in receiving parts delivered across Schengen borders. Dinescu remarked, “I don’t want to underestimate the value of our land borders joining Schengen, but there is still some work to be done.” In Timisoara, Philip Cox of Cramele Recas, Romania’s largest wine exporter, expresses greater optimism. He believes that “Border controls will take a while to wither away,” but is confident that “it will happen, perhaps in six months, because it’s in everyone’s interest.” He also anticipates that this development will enhance the competitiveness of his wines in Europe’s western and northern markets.