Moment of relief as Romania and Bulgaria join EU border-free zone

Seventeen years after joining the EU, the two countries are given the green light to join the Schengen zone.

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The decision by fellow EU member states means that from 1 January 2025, it will be possible to drive all the way to France, Spain or Norway without a passport.

It's a moment of huge relief for the 25 million people who live in Romania and Bulgaria, and who will finally feel accepted as full members of the EU. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was a "day of joy".

Although border checks were lifted on travel by air and sea for the two countries last March, it was only last month that Austria lifted its resistance to ending border checks by land.

But for truck drivers, the border bureaucracy is not over yet.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4xjj4xde3o

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