Description
Added on the 08/12/2022 16:23:44 - Copyright : AFPTV - First images
Austria is still firmly opposed to the long-coveted Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria, arguing the passport-free area needs to become "better" before becoming "bigger."
Austria argues a new influx of asylum-seekers through the Western Balkan route is reason enough to postpone Schengen enlargement.
The war in Ukraine has accelerated the need for Brussels to stabilise its eastern borders.
Romanian truck drivers waiting in line at the Giurgiu border crossing into Bulgaria express their frustration over the country’s continued non-Schengen status. The EU has approved Croatia as the newest member of the border check-free zone from next month, but Austria and the Netherlands blocked Romania and Bulgaria from joining.
Austria on Thursday said it will veto the EU's two poorest members Romania and Bulgaria joining the bloc's Schengen visa-free zone, dashing their decade-long bid. Decisions on Schengen enlargement have to be taken unanimously. The EU ministers were expected to approve Croatia joining Schengen, which would expand the area to include 23 of the EU's 27 member states, plus Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland. FRANCE 24's International Affairs Editor Armen Georgian tells us more.