The automobile industry breathes a sigh of relief as controls are relaxed
MADRID, 1 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Bulgaria and Romania become full members of the Schengen area, which will allow the free movement of people and goods between their territories and the rest of the member states of the European association in a new boost for their economies.
The removal of land border controls, which the two Balkan nations have been calling for for almost two decades, will end the bottlenecks in truck transit that have caused some goods to stop for days at the border in extreme cases due to the controls that the vehicles had to face.
Thousands of Bulgarians and Romanians, who have moved abroad for work since their countries joined the EU in 2007, will also see the relaxation of border controls during trips back to their usual residences after the Christmas holidays.
The EU already opened the ban last March by allowing the transport of citizens to Bulgaria and Romania without passports by air and sea, although both countries have defended for years the need to eliminate land controls to favor the integration of their citizens into the community block.
It is estimated that the direct impact of Schengen membership on Bulgaria, one of the poorest members of the EU, could amount to €866 million a year.
The main manufacturers, including those in the automobile industry, which represents around 15% of the Romanian economy and 4% of the Bulgarian economy, also say they are relieved by this move.
“It is the best news we could receive in a period marked by great uncertainties for the automobile industry in general,” said Adrian Sandu, head of the Romanian Automobile Manufacturers Association. According to his calculations, staying outside the Schengen area costs the country’s automobile industry 180,000 euros a day. The country is the official headquarters of Dacia, a vehicle trademark integrated into the Renault group.
In any case, the customs police of both countries will continue to carry out random checks during the first six months of 2025.