European Commissioner-designate for internal affairs and migration, Magnus Brunner, on Tuesday evening expressed his hope that Romania and Bulgaria will fully enter Schengen Area, as decision belongs to member states [of the Justice and Home Affairs Council - editor's note]."Of course that the member states are to decide who enter Schengen and who doesn't. There has been made extraordinary progress, if I may say so, in the cases of Romania and Bulgaria, and they are already in the Schengen Area, although just partially. However, as I've found out this morning, Austria is maintaining a very good dialogue with Romania and Bulgaria. Discussions continue and I am positive, or at least this is my approach, that this dialogue will bring a full integration of Romania and Bulgaria as soon as possible. Of course that there is much talk in my country on this topic too, but this is my opinion. And I am glad that discussions were increasingly frequent between the foreign affairs ministers and the presidents," the Austrian Commissioner said at his hearing in the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE).He answered thus to a question addressed to him by a Bulgarian MEP related to the decisions taken in the recent month by several Schengen states to reintroduce border control."A better management of migration means a balanced and determined approach, which means that we decide who comes in Europe and under what circumstances, and not the so called guides," underscored Brunner. He mentioned that a priority would be to apply the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, which is scheduled to come into force in 2026, with the EU member states to play an important role in its adoption.According to the Commissioner, some of this Pact's elements are to be implemented even before 2026, while observing the balance between "responsibility and solidarity."The Austrian politician announced that, if he would be validated as Commissioner, in the first half of next year he will draft a new European Internal Security Strategy, with the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation Europol, which needs to be consolidated, to play an essential part in it.Another topic he tackled was that related to the external border, as Magnus Brunner underscored the need for strengthening the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex, and informed the EU Executive that he is going to propose tripling the number of Frontex employees, up to 30,000.
Imagine living in Europe with visa-free travel across 29 Schengen countries, low living costs, and access to some of the best tax policies in the EU—all without the typical bureaucratic hurdles. Sounds too good to be true? It’s not. Romania’s business residency program is the ultimate “cheat code” for expats looking to make Europe their […]
Igor Feio, a Portuguese citizen living in Romania for over ten years, analyzes the mechanisms that favored then rise of populist and far-right parties and candidates in the recent presidential and parliamentary elections. Throughout Europe over the last half a decade, movements and parties from what is considered to be a far-right and populist ideology […]
Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air is further expanding its base in Craiova, in southern Romania, following the reallocation of its second aircraft, an Airbus A320neo, in the summer of 2025. Starting June 1, 2025, the airline offers a connection between Craiova and Memmingen. Beginning with June 2, it will introduce one between Craiova and Bari. […]
White Image, a leader in business process automation and optimization, has expanded its service portfolio with a new digital solution—integrating brand campaigns into WhatsApp, thus offering clients the opportunity to exploit one of the most effective digital communication channels. This strategic step comes in the context of a growing demand for quick and efficient consumer […]
Moldova, Romania’s small eastern neighbor, is set to declare a state of emergency in the energy sector for 60 days, starting December 16, 2024. The announcement was made by prime minister Dorin Recean during a press conference. This situation has arisen because the Republic of Moldova can no longer rely on supplying Transnistria with gas […]
Legal frameworks often struggle to keep pace with rapid technological advancements, but Andreea Cirstea-Ion and Roman Hamed, the founders of the Romanian law firm Roman HAMED & Andreea ION (“Legal to Business”), are determined to close the gap. In this interview, the duo shares their journey from law school to establishing a firm that thrives […]
