Ooni Koda
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Newsfeed
  4. /
  5. European Commission reaffirms that Romania and Bulgaria are...

European Commission reaffirms that Romania and Bulgaria are ready for full accession to Schengen

October 24, 2024

On Thursday, the European Commission reaffirmed its position that Romania and Bulgaria are fully prepared for full accession to the Schengen area."Regarding the Commission's position on lifting internal border controls for Bulgaria and Romania, this remains clear, as President Ursula von der Leyen stated in the political guidelines for the next European Commission (2024-2029): Bulgaria and Romania have demonstrated their capacity related to border management and returns. They are prepared and should fully benefit from the Schengen area," a spokesman for the European Commission told Agerpres.He thus answered a question regarding the consequences of the introduction of internal border controls by several Schengen states on the expansion of this area through the full integration of Bulgaria and Romania, including land borders."The Council will have to take an additional decision to set a date for the lifting of internal land border controls between Bulgaria, Romania and other Schengen countries. The Commission will continue to provide all necessary support to the Presidency of the Council to ensure that a decision on land borders can be taken in 2024,'' the quoted spokesperson added.Ten days ago, Germany introduced, for a period of six months, controls at all its land borders to combat illegal immigration.The German authorities had already introduced controls at the borders with several neighboring countries, and from September 16 these measures were extended to the borders with Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark.According to the EU asylum rules (the so-called Dublin regulation), asylum applications must be processed in the member state where the migrant first enters the EU bloc.The Schengen area is the free movement area of the European Union that includes most of the 27 EU member states. At the end of March of this year, Romania, together with Bulgaria, joined this area partially - only with air and sea borders due to the lack of unanimity in the EU Council, and a decision on the elimination of land border controls is still awaited.

Read in full - click here
The Bucharest Stock Exchange celebrated 30 years since its reestablishment with a series of anniversary events

On November 20th, 2025, the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) celebrated 30 years since its reopening, organizing a series of anniversary events along with various representatives of the Romanian capital market. Three decades ago, the first transactions took place on the BVB, and the Romanian investment landscape as we know it today began to take shape.  […]

Christmas Joy with the New Boromir Infused Cozonac with Pistachio

With the holidays just around the corner, we’ve created the new Collection of Boromir Infused Cozonac with natural vanilla syrup and pistachio. Unique, slightly moist, and richly filled, our latest assortments of Boromir Infused Cozonac make every festive moment with your loved ones even more special. Each bite melts in your mouth, bringing warmth, comfort, […]

Romanian airline AnimaWings announces new holiday routes from Timișoara

Romanian airline AnimaWings announced on Friday, November 21, that starting in 2026, it will operate five new air routes from Timișoara International Airport, serving holiday destinations in Italy and Greece. The new connections include Athens (ATH), Olbia – Sardinia (OLB), Kefalonia (EFL), Thessaloniki (SKG), and Kavala (KVA).  “We want Timișoara to become a reference point […]

Romania establishes October 29 as Queen Marie Day

President Nicușor Dan promulgated a law establishing October 29 as Queen Marie Day, following the bill’s adoption by the Chamber of Deputies on October 28, news agency Agerpres reported. The new law designates the date as a day dedicated to commemorating the life and historical contribution of Queen Marie of Romania. On October 29, public […]

Romanian authorities place extradited mercenary Horaţiu Potra under 30-day preventive arrest

Horaţiu Potra, the mercenary leader with alleged ties to Russia who previously fled Romania, was placed under preventive arrest for 30 days after his extradition from Dubai. He is investigated for attempted actions against the constitutional order, violation of the regime of weapons and ammunition, and violation of the regime of explosive materials. The same preventive […]

President Nicușor Dan, PM Ilie Bolojan lead political trust survey among Bucharest residents

Nicușor Dan is the political figure in whom Bucharest residents have the most trust, according to a survey by INSCOP Research. The former mayor, now head of state, is followed by prime minister Ilie Bolojan. More precisely, 44.2% of the total sample state that they have quite a lot or very much trust in Nicușor […]