BRUSSELS (Dispatches) - European Union members have confirmed the admission of Croatia to the bloc’s passport-free Schengen area while rejecting the candidacies of Bulgaria and Romania.
The decisions came on Thursday during a meeting of EU interior ministers in Brussels.
“Last step completed! Council decision adopted – It is now formally confirmed that Croatia joins Schengen area as of 1 January 2023,” the permanent representation of Croatia to the EU said in a tweet on Thursday.
“The Schengen area is growing for the first time in more than a decade,” the Czech Republic, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency tweeted. “Ministers approved Croatia’s membership as of 1 January 2023!”
EU commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said that Romania and Bulgaria have been denied access to the area.
“When it comes to the accession of Romania and Bulgaria we are not united and that makes us very weak and that makes me also sad,” he said.
“You deserve to be full members of Schengen, you deserve to have access to the free movement in the Schengen area,” Johansson said.
Full accession for the EU’s newest members – Bulgaria and Romania joined the bloc in 2007, Croatia in 2013 – required unanimous support from their partners.
The three countries already partly adhere to the Schengen rulebook, but internal border controls have yet to be lifted.
The hold-up has long been over concerns among the trio’s partners about the reach of organized crime, unauthorized migration, and other security concerns.
Germany supports bids by Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania to join the Schengen area, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in Brussels on Thursday, adding that she did not share Austria’s opposition to enlargement of the visa-free travel zone.
“I cannot understand Austria’s position in this respect,” Faeser told reporters ahead of talks with her EU counterparts. “I know that Austria has big domestic debates over the issue.”
She added: “We will support Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria, all three.”

Romania Blasts Austria for ‘Inexplicable’ Move

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has blasted Austria for single-handedly blocking his country’s accession into the EU’s passport-free Schengen Area, calling the move “inexplicable,” “regrettable” and “unjustified.”
Hours later, Romania recalled its own ambassador to Austria, Emil Hurezeanu, for consultations.
“A single member state chose to ignore these realities and block European unanimity, in an inexplicable way that is difficult to understand for the entire European Union,” Iohannis said in a reaction statement, a translated copy of which was shared with Euronews.