Austria is dropping its veto on Romania and Bulgaria becoming full members of Europe’s Schengen free-travel zone, the Austrian Interior Ministry said.
“We can take the next step in the EU Council,” Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said.
This paves the way for EU interior ministers to approve the move at a meeting on Thursday, December 12.
Romania and Bulgaria were admitted to the Schengen zone on March 31, but only for travel by sea or air.
Austria has so far blocked the system of passport-free travel to these countries via land borders.
