Austria could accept Romania's Schengen membership
Articol de Radiojurnal, 10 Noiembrie 2024, 01:56
A summit involving Austria, Romania and Bulgaria will be held on November 22 in Budapest, while the authorities in Vienna may drop their opposition to the full Schengen accession of the two countries, the Austrian press reports.
The accession decision could be announced on December 12 at the next Justice and Home Affairs Council, the source adds.
Austrian interior minister Gerhard Karner confirmed his participation in the summit with his Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts and said talks with both countries were ongoing.
He emphasized that for Romania and Bulgaria to fully join Schengen, the essential condition remains the effective protection of external borders and, if necessary, internal border controls.
The Austrian press reports that Vienna's change of stance is said to be due to the decrease in migration in the Balkans and the number of asylum applications in Austria.
Translated by: Radu Matei
