The heads of state and government of the European Union (EU) have approved Croatia's entry into the Schengen zone and expressed hope that Bulgaria and Romania will be able to achieve this in 2023, the President of the Council of the European Union, Charles Michel, said at the press conference held after the EU summit in Brussels.
"We have approved Croatia's entry into the Schengen zone. We hope that Bulgaria and Romania will join Schengen in 2023," he noted.
According to Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, the EC will do everything in its power to ensure that Bulgaria and Romania join Schengen as soon as possible.
At the meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council held in Brussels on December 8, Croatia's accession to the Schengen zone was approved, while the applications of Romania and Bulgaria were rejected by the votes of Austria and the Netherlands.