European interior ministers met in Brussels on Thursday, where they voted to allow Bulgaria and Romania fully into the Schengen area, dropping borders between the two countries and the rest of Europe.

The decision will be valid as of January 1, 2025.

"It is a historic moment to finally welcome Bulgaria and Romania," said Interior Minister Sandor Pinter of Hungary, which the European Union's rotating presidency.

The process had already begun in March, when passport checks were ended for the countries' air and sea borders with other EU nations.

Why are Romania and Bulgaria just now joining Schengen?

Romania and Bulgaria have been EU members since 2007, and have filled the requirements to enter Schengen since 2010. However, over the years various states have objected to their accession over migration concerns.

Since 2022, Austria in particular was holding out on approval. However, Vienna had already signaled ahead of Thursday's vote that it would not veto the decision. This is in part due to a pact wherein Bulgaria agreed to deploy more border guards to its frontier with Turkey.

Created in 1985, the Schengen free movement area is the largest such zone in the world. It comprises all EU countries except Cyprus and Ireland, as well as non-EU members Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.

es/rm (AFP, dpa)