Bulgaria and Romania to discuss full Schengen membership with Austria in Budapest 

A meeting of the interior ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Austria in Budapest could lead to a change in Austria's stance on the two countries joining the Schengen area. This is reported in the Austrian media.

The meeting will take place on 22 November, the Austrian Ministry of the Interior has confirmed, reports BNR Horizon. It will be hosted by Hungary, which holds the EU presidency. Vienna, currently the only country opposing full Schengen membership for Bulgaria and Romania, has set conditions for lifting its veto, such as increased funding for external border security and more border controls between Bulgaria and Romania.

Asked by a journalist whether the Austrian veto could be expected to be lifted, the Austrian Interior Ministry responded with statistics showing a significant decrease in the number of illegal border crossings into Bulgaria and Romania - by 46% and 10% respectively compared to last year.