Gerhard Karner, Austria's Interior Minister, has reiterated that the country will continue to veto the removal of land borders with Bulgaria and Romania following their accession to the Schengen zone by air and sea.
The National Union of Road Hauliers from Romania is pushing to be given a precise date for a land border removal in the Schengen zone, however this is unlikely while Austria maintains its position.
In an interview with the Austrian Daily Presse, Karner said the veto was not about these two countries in particular, but about the migration system in the Schengen area in general. He has been advocating for the implementation of a new asylum and migration pact for the last few years, stating that the current regulations had created a “catastrophic situation”. These are the latest comments from Karner, who was quoted by actmedia, a Romanian news agency, saying in August last year that the Schengen systemwas not working..
The Minister was responsible for halting the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen zone in 2022, but came to an agreement to allow for the free movement by air and sea that will be in effect from April.
