Netherlands supported expansion of Schengen zone: Country to be included
Illustrative photo: Netherlands supported expansion of Schengen zone (Getty Images)
The Netherlands gave the green light to Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area. But one country is still against it, reports Reuters.
According to the Ministry of Justice, the Netherlands allowed Bulgaria to join the Schengen area. This decision ended a long-standing dispute between the two countries.
Previously, the Netherlands did not want Bulgaria to join the Schengen zone because it was afraid of corruption and migration. But now Bulgaria has fulfilled all the conditions for joining Schengen.
The opponent of the decision, as before, is Austria. However, on Monday they said they were ready to make concessions, allowing flights between the countries in exchange for increased security at the EU's external border.
Schengen zone
A group of European countries that have agreed not to check the passports of people crossing borders between them. This means that people can travel freely within the Schengen zone without any problems.
Currently, the Schengen zone includes 27 countries: Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Croatia, Switzerland, Sweden, and Estonia.
