Bucharest and Sofia entered this European free-trade area on 31 March. However, after a thirteen-year wait, it is a bitter pill to swallow: this membership is only partial and excludes the land borders.
It is a detail that changes everything. And one that, for some observers, somewhat «spoil[s] the party» of Romania and Bulgaria joining the Schengen area on 31 March last. Because, after a thirteen-year wait, an imposed condition makes the news much less festive: all land borders are excluded from the Schengen integration. Clearly, road checks will be maintained (or even reinforced?), making this accession an agreement only valid for airports and seaports. The reason is to be found in a country that usually doesn't make waves within the European Union. But, despite bitter negotiations behind the scenes, it was indeed Austria that remained inflexible in its opposition to the full integration of the two countries into Schengen, and which maintained its veto right to the end. The reason: the fear of a massive influx of migrants from these countries, even though Austria... does not share any land border with either of them.
Nevertheless, Romania and Bulgaria welcomed this «first step» while hoping, ultimately, for full Schengen membership... which is not currently on the European agenda.
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