Romania and Bulgaria have been waiting for Schengen membership for years, hoping to become part of the free movement area by the end of summer. Hungary’s neighbourhood policy priorities Romania’s Schengen accession and, now, Budapest will use its position as Council president in 2024 to finalise the process. Romania’s Schengen membership is a clear national interest for Hungary as it will strengthen economic and trade relations. If Romania is not a member by July next year, Hungary’s EU presidency will help Romania in this regard.
The current Spanish presidency hopes to reach an agreement during the upcoming meeting of the bloc’s internal ministers in early December. Austria has been adamant about delaying Romania’s Schengen accession and is preparing to veto it again in December. Bucharest and Sofia argue that they are both located outside of the main Balkan migrant route, which goes through Serbia and enters the EU through the Hungarian and Croatian borders. Austrian Chancellor Nehammer has made clear that Vienna’s problems lie not with the two countries but with Schengen itself, hinting at a need for Schengen reforms and strengthening external border protection before lifting the veto. Hungary’s contribution could be even more important in this debate, as the country has long been a major advocate for EU border protection and has been cooperating closely with Austria and Serbia against illegal migration.
