Brussels, 22 November 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Bulgaria and Romania on Friday sealed a major agreement with Austria to advance towards the final stage of full entry to Schengen, the European Union's borderless travel area.

Austria lifted a long-standing veto on their entry after concluding with Bulgaria and Romania that asylum applications and irregular migration to the EU via both countries had decreased sufficiently.

The Schengen area is intended to guarantee the unrestricted movement of people in Europe. It now includes 25 of the 27 EU member states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Romania and Bulgaria have been waiting to join Schengen since 2011.

In March, Romania and Bulgaria joined the Schengen area, partly, after checks at airports and seaports were lifted, although some land border controls remained in place due to the Austrian veto until Vienna was satisfied that irregular migration had reduced.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the agreement between Austria, Bulgaria and Romania in a post on X.

Von der Leyen said the land borders were the final hurdle to be crossed and that "Bulgaria and Romania belong fully to the Schengen area."

A final decision from EU member states for the agreement to enter into legal force is expected before the end of the year.