Bulgaria and Romania’s potential accession to the Schengen may not be a barrier for travel to Greece, as the three Balkan countries are discussing plans to open land borders by summer. This move aims to ease heavy tourist traffic between them, despite Austria’s opposition to the land border accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the borderless area of the EU.
Romanian MEPs Dacian Ciolos and Vlad Gheorghe, alongside Greek MEP Georgios Kyrtsos and Bulgarian MP Daniel Lorer, have reached out to Greece’s Minister of Migration and Asylum, Dimitris Kairidis, urging him to abolish land border controls between Sofia, Bucharest, and Athens.
Dacian Ciolos emphasized the importance of keeping the issue of land border accession to the Schengen area on the European agenda, stating that Romania has accepted all of Austria’s conditions for partial implementation of this right. The four politicians highlighted the European Commission’s confirmation that Bulgaria and Romania have met all the necessary conditions for Schengen accession, as well as the support from the European Parliament for their full membership in the Schengen Zone.
The representatives of the Greek tourism and hospitality sector have also expressed their desire for the land border controls to be lifted, given the potential economic benefits, especially in the northern parts of Greece. They believe that open land borders before the summer period will be crucial for economic development.
The Members of the European Parliament pointed out the significant losses incurred by transport companies and tourists due to land border controls between these three Balkan countries, emphasizing the need for a change. Despite Austria’s veto, Romania and Bulgaria are set to become part of the Schengen zone by air and sea in March this year, but the veto regarding land border issues persists.
These discussions represent a significant step towards enhancing travel between these Balkan countries and Greece, and it’s hopeful that a resolution can be reached to streamline travel and tourism in the region.
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