Romania and Bulgaria to join Schengen Area on New Year's Day

The EU voted on 12 December to lift internal land border controls with Romania and Bulgaria, allowing them to join the Schengen Area in the New Year.

Transcript

00:00Romania is about to join the Schengen area, a passport-free region guaranteeing free movement

00:07to hundreds of millions of EU citizens.

00:12Romania's journey to the Schengen area came to an end earlier in December after the EU

00:16gave its blessing to its hard-fought candidacy.

00:18Romania started negotiations to enter the Schengen area from 2011 when the country formally

00:45fulfilled the accession conditions.

00:49The Schengen area, one of the most tangible achievements of European integration, currently

00:53encompasses 29 countries and almost 450 million people.