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On 30 December 2023, an agreement was reached for Bulgaria and Romania to join the Schengen Area for air and sea travel on 31 March 2024,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Schengen area: Controls at air and sea borders with Bulgaria and Romania will be lifted - European Commission |url=https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/schengen-area-controls-air-and-sea-borders-bulgaria-and-romania-will-be-lifted-2024-01-03_en |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=home-affairs.ec.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_6861 | title=Press corner }}</ref> with land borders to be discussed later that year.<ref name="HÜLSEMANN-2023">{{cite web |last1=HÜLSEMANN |first1=LAURA |title=Romania, Bulgaria set to partially enter Schengen zone in March |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/romania-bulgaria-eu-schengen-zone-march-2024/ |website=Politico |date=28 December 2023 |access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref> Lifting air and sea borders is less controversial from a migrant control perspective, because airlines are already required to check identity documents before boarding. Due to anti-terrorism legislation, this has long been common practice, even for routes within the same country.
On 22 November 2024, Austria agreed to lift its veto on Bulgaria and Romania's full accession. The final decision is expected at a meeting of the Council of the European Union on 12 December 2024, potentially enabling Bulgaria and Romania to become full members of the Schengen Area on 1 January 2025.<ref>https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/11/22/austria-lifts-long-held-veto-on-the-schengen-accession-of-romania-and-bulgaria</ref> However, land borders controls between Hungary and Romania and between Romania and Bulgaria will be maintained for at least for six more months.<ref>[https://www.romaniajournal.ro/politics/romania-land-checks-for-6-months/]</ref>
==Current members==
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