Bulgaria and Romania Complete Their Schengen Entry as EU Ministers Review Border and Security Priorities

When the Justice and Home Affairs Council met in Brussels on 12 December 2024, it took a decision that closed a long chapter for two member states. Ministers agreed to lift checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania from 1 January 2025, completing their accession to the Schengen area. The same meeting reviewed the state of the Schengen area and a broad agenda of border, migration and security files.

Photo by Dušan Cvetanović on Pexels

Bulgaria and Romania join Schengen fully

Since joining the EU, Bulgaria and Romania had already applied parts of the Schengen rulebook, including external border controls, police cooperation and the use of the Schengen Information System. In December 2023 the Council agreed to lift checks at internal air and sea borders from 31 March 2024. The December 2024 decision completed the process by removing land border checks from 1 January 2025, a milestone that ministers welcomed as bringing both countries fully into the Schengen family.

EES, ETIAS and interoperable IT systems

Ministers were briefed by the Commission and eu-LISA, the EU agency that runs large-scale IT systems, on the way forward for launching the Entry/Exit System (EES). The Commission had published a proposal on 4 December 2024 for a progressive entry into operation. The EES is an automated system that registers non-EU nationals travelling for short stays, with border officers scanning fingerprints or taking a photo on a first crossing. It is part of a wider set of border and security systems due in the coming years, including the ETIAS travel authorisation, which will check the security, migration and health risks of visa-exempt travellers. You can read more in our overview of how ETIAS works.

Photo by Martijn Stoof on Pexels

Migration, security and law-enforcement priorities

Beyond Schengen, ministers approved conclusions on access to data for effective law enforcement and discussed the external dimension of migration, picking up the European Council's October 2024 call for new ways to prevent and counter irregular migration in line with EU and international law. They also adopted strategic guidelines for legislative and operational planning in the area of freedom, security and justice, framing EU work up to 2029. Ministers received the six-monthly threat update and reviewed progress on fighting drug trafficking and organised crime, while a proposed regulation to prevent and combat child sexual abuse did not reach agreement amid concerns over the confidentiality of encrypted communications.