A distinct Hungarian achievement: the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria
MKI Perspective – Written by Ágnes Vass
The Schengen area is a cornerstone of European integration and one of its most successful initiatives. Together with the single market, this area of free movement is one of the EU’s greatest attractions for aspiring Member States and their citizens. The Schengen Convention, which started as an intergovernmental treaty but is now part of the EU acquis communautaire, sets specific and strict requirements for entry, including that the Member States must unanimously accept the entry of a new country (even from outside the EU) into the Schengen ‘club’. This is how it happened that after more than ten years of trying, Romania and Bulgaria had been unable to become members of the Schengen area, due to persistent vetoes. The turning point came with the Hungarian EU Presidency: in December 2024 it was decided that both countries would become full members of the Schengen area from 1 January 2025. However, the road to this point has been long and bumpy, so it is an undeniable achievement of the Hungarian Presidency that such progress has been made on such a long-drawn-out issue.
Cover source: Euractiv