Bulgaria, Romania Agree on Joint Measures After Border Check Removal

Delegations of the interior ministries of Bulgaria and Romania Monday discussed new challenges facing law enforcers following the lifting of border controls at EU internal land borders and agreed on joint measures to address these challenges, Bulgaria's Interior Ministry said on its website, cited by https://www.bta.bg/.   On January 1, Bulgaria and Romania became full members of the Schengen area, lifting checks at all internal EU borders. The common goal is to ensure the smooth crossing of people and goods across the border while maintaining a high level of security and preventing organized crime groups from taking advantage of the right to free movement, the Ministry said.   The meeting in Bucharest was chaired by Chief Commissioner Miroslav Rashkov, Secretary General of Bulgaria's Interior Ministry, and Police Chief-Quaestor Bogdan Despescu, Secretary of State for Public Order and Safety at Romania's Ministry of Internal Affair. The heads of the police and border police directorates and of units combating organized crime also took part.   The Bucharest meeting was part of an established bilateral mechanism for regular meetings of the professional leaderships, aimed at reviewing cooperation in combating illegal migration and other forms of cross-border crime, enhancing security along the common border, facilitating the movement of legitimate travellers, and guaranteeing the safety of citizens of both countries and of the Schengen area.   Rashkov and Despescu signed an updated Joint Action Plan with compensatory measures, building on a similar plan signed in June 2024. The updated plan takes into account the two countries' new status following the removal of land border controls and provides for additional activities, the Interior Ministry said.   The two also signed a declaration formalizing internal regulations on cross-border pursuits on the territories of both countries, based on common principles and procedures.   In December 2024, the Bulgarian government adopted a decision on the temporary introduction of checks on the border with Romania and on the suspension of the functioning of border checkpoints on the Bulgarian-Romanian and Bulgarian-Greek borders. Border checks will continue to be carried out at the internal border crossing points with Romania for a period of six months starting from January 1, 2025, after which they will be suspended.