Passport checks for people flying to and from Bulgaria and Romania will be abolished at Swiss airports, https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics reads. The Swiss government on Wednesday agreed to follow a recent European Union decision to lift internal border controls at air and maritime borders with Bulgaria and Romania. On December 30, the Council of the EU unanimously decided to lift checks on people at the internal air and sea borders with Bulgaria and Romania, as from March 31, 2024. Controls will remain in place at land borders but the council has hinted that a future decision will be taken on the matter. Switzerland, a member of Europe’s passport-free Schengen Zone, is following this decision. Romania and Bulgaria will also be able to issue their own Schengen visas themselves, the government said in a statement on Wednesday. The experience of Croatia's accession to the Schengen area on January 1, 2023 has shown that a decision of this kind does not lead to a marked increase in immigration, non-EU member Switzerland said. Existing instruments, including preventive measures, are used to combat illegal migratory flows and crime. The EU's decision follows 12 years of negotiations. Austria imposed its veto last year to protest against too many irregular migrants arriving on its territory, before agreeing to lift it in exchange for guarantees. Sofia and Bucharest have agreed to step up their fight against irregular migration. Bulgaria and Romania, members of the EU since 2007, have also undertaken to fully apply European law, which stipulates that asylum applications must be processed in the migrants' country of arrival. The Schengen area, created in 1985, allows over 400 million people to travel freely in Europe without internal border controls. It includes 23 of the 27 EU member states as well as their associated neighbours Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
The first self-service mobile phone repair shop in Romania opened in the city of Iasi, aimed at promoting sustainability and the right of users to maintain their own devices in safe and efficient conditions. The initiative aims to promote the right to repair, following European Directive 2024/1799, to support the tech community and DIY repair […]
Ukrainian refugees living in Cluj County, central Romania, have restored a playground in the suburb of Florești as a sign of gratitude for the support offered by Romanians after the start of the war in Ukraine. According to representatives of the Association of Ukrainian Youth in Romania (or ATUR), this project was entirely funded and […]
The Brașov Jazz & Blues Festival returns for its 13th edition from August 14 to 17, transforming the city into a multi-stage celebration of jazz, blues, gospel, and live improvisation. This year's edition will take place in seven locations across Brașov and nearby areas, featuring live music, film screenings, jam sessions, and family-friendly activities. The […]
Affinity Life Care, the largest private network of residential centers for the elderly in Romania, announced the attraction of a growth equity investment from BlackPeak Capital, a private equity fund active in Southeastern Europe. At the moment, Affinity operates three centers in the most important areas of the Romanian capital, with a capacity of over […]
Tensions have emerged within Romania's ruling coalition following disagreements over the state funerals of former president Ion Iliescu. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) announced on Wednesday, August 6, that it would suspend participation in coalition meetings, citing what it described as "public incitement to hatred" from the Save Romania Union (USR). The dispute centers on […]
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