The borderless area has expanded to 29 members, making the two Eastern European nations’ wait of 13 years since Romania and Bulgaria have both acceded to the Schengen zone.
The expansion, made possible when Austria and other members dropped their objections to the former communist countries joining, officially took place at midnight (22: 00 GMT) on Wednesday, marked by ceremonies at various border posts.
Travelers now have free access to the rest of the 27-member bloc’s land borders, which were officially closed at midnight.
In March, the two Balkan nations formally joined the Schengen Area, but only those who arrived by air or sea could travel.
At the Ruse-Giurgiu border crossing, where the two nations’ interior ministers met late on Tuesday to celebrate the opening of the frontier, were the two countries’ interior ministers. A meeting between Hungary’s national police chief and the head of the border police of Romania was held at a second, less formal ceremony.
Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007, but they did not become borderless until March, when maritime and air travel border checks were eliminated. Due to concerns that the two nations weren’t doing enough to stop migrants from entering without authorization, Austria’s opposition remained in place.
Hungary’s government, which held the six-month rotating presidency of the EU, made months of efforts to annex Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen Area.
The Transylvania region of Romania, a remnant of Hungary’s partition following World War One, has a population of one million ethnic Hungarians. Although the two countries’ relations have historically been difficult, opening the border will facilitate travel and strengthen regional ties.
Schengen, one of the main achievements of the European project, was established in 1985 as an intergovernmental project between five EU countries – France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. It has grown over time to become the world’s largest free travel destination.
However, several Schengen member countries, including the Netherlands, Austria and Germany, this year reinstated some land border checks over concerns ranging from migration to security. The reimposed checks, according to EU officials, could undermine the scheme’s objectives.
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