The endless queues of trucks at the borders between Hungary and Romania, as well as between Romania and Bulgaria, are now a thing of the past. Since the beginning of 2025, Romania and Bulgaria have officially been part of the Schengen Area, which has led to the abolition of customs controls at the EU's internal land borders.
This integration was preceded by a crucial step in 2011, when the European Commission confirmed that both countries were ready to join the area of free movement. Since their accession to the EU in 2007, Bulgaria and Romania had already started to apply some provisions of the Schengen legal framework, in particular in the areas of external border controls, police cooperation and the use of the Schengen Information System (SIS).
With the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, the Schengen area now covers a vast area and includes many EU member states as well as some non-member countries. This free movement zone is home to a large population.
It remains to be seen whether this integration will boost international road freight transport from Bulgaria and Romania. The effects on trade and logistics will be closely observed in the coming months.