Romania and Bulgaria might finally get the green light to become full members of the EU free-travel zone from the turn of the year, Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said Friday. The countries were supposed to join the Schengen zone in 2023 along with Croatia, but that deal unraveled when Austria objected that Bulgaria and Romania were failing to handle a steep rise in migrants arriving through the Western Balkan route. The Netherlands also opposed Bulgaria’s entry. While air and maritime internal controls with the countries were lifted earlier this year, a Council deal to lift internal land borders is…
Author: Hanne Cokelaere
BRUSSELS — Politics is stuck in traffic. Ahead of municipal elections in Brussels on Sunday, a feud between the capital’s French and Dutch-speaking parties is threatening to unravel a delicate political compromise needed to govern the city. At the heart is a clash over a plan to cut car pollution. The tipping point came earlier this month when local lawmakers voted to delay tighter pollution limits for cars driving into the traffic-clogged Belgian capital that were originally due to take effect in January. A French-speaking majority passed the decision, brushing aside a Dutch-speaking minority and triggering an impasse in ongoing…