One of the greatest achievements of the 2024 Hungarian EU Presidency is that this week the Council of the EU decided to list internal border controls for Romania and Bulgaria. Previously the two countries were only admitted into the Schengen “air” meaning that flights could come and go freely. The new decision puts the EU in a new geopolitical position and will be the first time ever the EU’s borders to reach the Black Sea and Türkiye. What are the implications of this joint decision for the future of the EU?
Schengen is the considered the largest free travel area in the world. For the first time in history border controls between France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were abolished in 1985. Currently Schengen covers 25 EU member states as well Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland and has a total population of 420 million. The population increase will lead to a total of 445 million citizens being part of the Schengen area. The EU will also officially have external borders with Türkiye which formally applied to the European Economic Community in 1987 but is still waiting for negotiations to continue regarding EU membership.
The EU has a historic momentum in creating the largest zone of freedom of movement, goods, services and capital which can greatly contribute to economic competitiveness and security. With the enlargement, Türkiye would become the most important strategic partner for the EU, not only because it has the 2nd largest standing force in NATO, but because of its direct border to the Middle East while providing a significant amount of the EU’s energy supply for gas and electricity.
The Commission’s political guidelines for the next political cycle outline that Frontex, the EU’s border guard agency should be increased to 30.000, in close cooperation with neighborhood countries. This can help to deter illegal migration, while allowing skilled labor to enter the Common Market. The recommendations laid down in the Draghi and Letta reports show that the EU must invest in high-skilled labor and create European industrial champions in the defence, telecoms, energy and transport sector which can compete with US and Chinese companies. The expansion of the Schengen and the Common Market is only a tool, if used wisely it can lead to economic growth and prosperity for less developed regions. At the same time it is also an area of responsibility towards regional partners in the Western Balkans region and Türkiye to work together on closer integration to the EU. Romania’s and Bulgaria’s full accession to Schengen will create a new reality for the EU from January 1, 2025. Member states and EU institutions will need to think strategically on how to benefit from this, including accelerating Western Balkans EU enlargement and reviving Türkiye’s accession process to the EU which would be a historical momentum for Europe’s economic growth and regional stability.
Picture source: politico.eu
