EBN- Bulgaria and Romania on Wednesday became full members of the Schengen area, which does not require visas at borders, 18 years after joining the European Union.
At the beginning of the year, restrictions were lifted on land borders after they were lifted on sea borders and airports last March.
The two countries joined the European Union on January 1, 2007.
In the town of Kolata on the border with Greece, Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev hailed the move as a “historic event.”
The barriers were removed at a New Year’s Eve ceremony at the Giurgiu-Rus border crossing between Romania and Bulgaria, attended by the interior ministers of the two countries.
High-ranking police officers from both sides attended a similar ceremony at the Nadlac-Szanabalota border crossing on the Romania-Hungary highway.
With the addition of Romania and Bulgaria, the total number of countries now belonging to the Schengen Area is 29, which includes most of the EU countries, but also includes non-EU countries such as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
It is worth noting that many governments, including the German one, have recently re-imposed border controls as part of the fight against irregular immigration.
