The Sofia authorities are confident that the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area in terms of land borders can happen in the near future. This hope was reinforced by recent statements by the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson and the Hungarian Minister of the Interior, who proposed to the Council of the European Union to abolish border checks. Yordanka Chobanova, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Bulgaria, noted the need for strong support from the European Commission to achieve this goal.
Bulgaria and Romania have already become members of the Schengen area since 31 March 2024, which allowed the abolition of controls at sea and air borders. However, despite this, controls at land borders remain, which not only creates certain inconveniences for citizens, but also leads to significant financial losses for Bulgaria. According to the Institute for Economic Research of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the country's economic losses due to the lack of full membership in Schengen exceed 400 million euros.
Hungary also aims to resolve the land border issue as soon as possible. Hungarian Deputy Minister of the Interior Bence Retvári stressed the importance of completing this process by the end of 2024, noting the problems arising from the lack of a clear position on this issue. He also pointed to the migration situation, which creates additional challenges for countries with external borders of the EU, adding that additional delays in the accession process must be avoided.
It appears, therefore, that the situation around the Schengen area for Bulgaria and Romania requires a thoughtful and prompt approach, which is especially relevant in light of the current migration challenges and economic factors affecting both countries. In the context of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, this issue is of additional relevance and requires joint efforts to achieve consensus and rational solutions.