Bulgaria’s Bid to Join Schengen Zone
As Bulgaria inches closer to full accession to the EU’s Schengen Zone by air and sea, businesses in the country are facing significant losses due to stoppages at land borders, estimated at least €1 billion. The main hurdle for Bulgaria’s full accession to Schengen is Austria. In retaliation, the head of one of the largest employers’ organizations in Bulgaria, Wasil Walev, called for a boycott of Austrian goods in Bulgaria, including the Billa chain of stores, OMV gas stations, and Austrian winter resorts.
Walev emphasized his support for the government if it decides to take tougher steps towards Austria, including creating obstacles for Austrian drivers passing through Bulgaria. He believes that Austrian drivers and their vehicles should undergo thorough and extended controls, similar to the measures currently imposed on Bulgarian drivers and vehicles at border crossings.
Austrian Chamber of Commerce reports significant losses in Vienna due to these actions. However, there are already reports of such measures being implemented at border crossings, with Austrian cars and trucks facing lengthy inspection times.
In a related development, Romania and Bulgaria are set to join the Schengen Zone by air and sea from March 2024, following an agreement with Austria on the “Air Schengen” proposal. Discussions for land border accession are ongoing, with authorities in Romania also urging for a clear date for the accession of land borders.
Welcoming the partial accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area, the National Union for Road Hauliers from Romania (UNTRR) called for a clear date for land border accession. UNTRR revealed that remaining outside the Schengen Zone cost the road freight industry €2.41 billion in losses.
UNTRR Secretary-General Radu Dinescu emphasized the urgency of setting a definite date for Romania’s Schengen entry with land borders and stressed that the criteria for admission must not surpass the general framework and technical requirements for admission. He called for any special requirements to be clearly mentioned to achieve a precise reference regarding the accession calendar and the goals to be achieved.
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