Ooni Koda
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Newsfeed
  4. /
  5. ForMin Odobescu on Schengen file: On-going dialogue with...

ForMin Odobescu on Schengen file: On-going dialogue with Austrian side, also carried out by our EU partners

November 22, 2023

Romania is discussing with Austria on the subject of its accession to the Schengen Area, and this dialogue is also carried out by our country's European Union partners, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminita Odobescu, declared on Monday."There are contacts with the Austrian side at all levels and this dialogue with the Austrian side is carried out not only by us, but also by our partners from the European Union. We have the support of several states. You have seen that the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area on the agenda of the discussions of several European leaders, we are also discussing with the Spanish presidency of the Council of the European Union", said the Romanian top diplomat, appreciating that "at the moment it is important to continue this dialogue with the Austrian side and as we move forward, the conditions will be met, we can see exactly what the final approach will be." In this sense, the minister emphasized, "a political decision is obviously needed".Luminita Odobescu also spoke about the fact that some member states of the Schengen Area have strengthened border controls."Against the background of security risks, including at the European level - and we all saw what happened recently in Brussels, when two Swedish supporters lost their lives in a terrorist attack - temporary border controls between the various member states were introduced. It is a temporary measure, generated by the security risks. Moreover, several European states have raised security alerts, and for our part, we signaled to our citizens who travel to be very attentive to the security alerts in the respective countries," the minister pointed out.In this context, "the discussion about Romania's accession to the Schengen Area remains a priority on the agenda". This topic is announced on the agenda of the European Council in December."We continue the diplomatic efforts, it is too early to tell you exactly what we will do in December, but we continue to dialogue with all the partners involved in this effort, with the support of the European Commission, we also try to coordinate closely with the Bulgarian side, so it's a constant diplomatic effort and we'll see, depending on the situation at that moment, what the final decision will be," said Luminita Odobescu.

Read in full - click here
Two new investment funds active in Romania receive financing through EU-backed PNRR

Two new investment funds active in Romania, Sparking Capital II and PCP SEE II, will receive allocations worth EUR 30 million under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, or PNRR, after an approval from the Romanian executive and the European Investment Bank. The allocations are mediated by the European Investment Fund, a European financial institution, […]

Romania’s tax collector ANAF sees revenues up 12% in first half of 2025

The net revenues collected by Romania’s tax agency ANAF for the state budget increased by 12.2% in the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period last year, reaching RON 245.2 billion (EUR 49 billion), said outgoing ANAF president Nicoleta-Mioara Cîrciumaru. Nevertheless, the net revenues collected by ANAF are RON 3.8 billion (EUR […]

Survey: Romanians place highest trust in Army and Church, while Parliament ranks last

Romanians continue to place the most trust in the Army and the Church, while Parliament remains the least trusted institution, according to the second edition of the Informat.ro – INSCOP Research Barometer conducted between June 20–26. The monthly survey was commissioned by the news platform Informat.ro in partnership with the Strategic Thinking Group think tank. […]

Romania braces for fiery weekend as meteorologists issue Orange Code

Romania’s National Meteorological Administration, or ANM, issued on Thursday, July 3, an Orange Code warning for heatwave and heightened thermal discomfort, valid Friday and Saturday, July 4-5, in more than half the country, including Bucharest. The parts of Romania not covered by the Orange Code warning are under a Yellow Code for extremely hot weather. […]

Romania steps into the big league of fintech - Best Credit IFN becomes the first Romanian NBFI to partner with Bondster

Best Credit IFN announces the strategic partnership with the European crowdfunding platform Bondster, becoming the first Romanian non-banking financial institution (NBFI) to attract international capital through this platform. This initial round of financing marks a milestone in the company’s strategy to diversify its capital sources and rapidly scale its lending capacity in a dynamic market […]

Eastern Romania: Investigations continue in case involving Romanian IDs for Russians, Ukrainians

Another 93 searches were carried out at public institutions and private residences on Thursday, July 3, in the case of illegally-obtained Romanian identity documents for citizens of former USSR countries. Earlier this week, Romanian police completed 206 searches in the same case. Prosecutors claim that between 2023–2024, over 1,700 individuals born in the Russian Federation, […]