Romania and Bulgaria fully joined the European Union’s Schengen zoneon Wednesday, eliminating land border controls to other member states.
The Schengen zone allows residents to travel between countries without passport checks.
While the Schengen zone has steadily expanded since its establishment, several countries, including Germany, have reintroduced border checks on their crossings in recent years.
Early last month, the Netherlands also introduced border controls for travelers entering from Germany and Belgium.
Romania, Bulgaria celebrate full Schengen membership
Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev hailed the expansion of the Schengen zone as a “historic event” while speaking from the southwestern town of Kulata on Bulgaria’s border with Greece. On New Year’s Eve, Romanian Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu and Bulgarian counterpart Atanas Ilkov presided over a ceremony at the Giurgiu-Russe border crossing in which barriers were raised.
A similar ceremony was held at the Nadlac-Csanadpalota crossing between Romania and Hungary.
