Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner has softened its stance on the Schengen matter, and he now agrees to a so-called “Air Schengen” membership for Bulgaria and Romania, under certain conditions, Austrian media outlets have reported. 

Previously, Austria vetoed the entry of the two countries to the Schengen zone. Under the proposed partial Schengen membership, the control requirements for passengers travelling from Romanian and Bulgarian airports to airports in the Schengen area, and vice-versa, would be lifted. However, the biggest problems transportation companies or travellers encounter are at the land checkpoints where the vehicles have to wait long hours.

The results of the so-called “Air Schengen” proposal remain uncertain given the still unrefined specifications that may make the difference between genuine progress or a new obstacle to full Schengen membership.

Austria would reportedly wish the two countries to accept asylum seekers, originating from Afghanistan and Syria who arrived on its territory along various routes. Also, some future intra-Schengen borders should be "consolidated" as a condition for "Air Schengen" — although they should be afterwards removed after full membership is achieved,

Karner remains against the two countries fully joining the Schengen area due to “illegal migration concerns”. 

The lifting of land border controls is the subject of separate discussions, he said. 

Furthermore, Austria’s interior minister mentions several conditions for agreeing to the two countries’ Air Schengen membership. The final form of the deal will be discussed by Austria with the two candidate countries at the Salzburg Forum — the meeting of a Central European security partnership — in Slovenia on December 12. 

Besides the asylum acceptance condition, Bulgaria should at least triple the Frontex personnel at its border with Turkey; Romania and Bulgaria should receive more funds to strengthen their external border; and, the land borders between Bulgaria to Romania and Romania to Hungary “should be consolidated”.

The informal proposal was received with caution in Bucharest and Sofia, where only Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu rushed to report it as another success of his recent visit to the United States.

While Ciolacu saluted the Air Schengen initiative, Romanian Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu was more cautious and opposition representatives saw it as a possible “poisoned chalice”.

Ciolacu wrote on Facebook that the ice had been broken, saying the development means that “Romanians will no longer stand in endless queues when they fly within the European Union”.

“After years of waiting, we will realise this dream together! Romania deserves to be in Schengen,” Ciolacu said.

"The big step was from 'no' to 'yes, but’ let's see under what conditions,” Predoiu said.

“[Austria’s conditions] are conditions that we are aware of and that we are going to discuss. Some of them help Romania secure its national territory. We have to discuss the others", he said.

Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev was more direct. “The conditions the minister sets are unacceptable for Bulgaria," Radev said.

“What the minister of the interior of Austria is saying is a step forward, but we have to be very careful. It is critically important for us to open the land borders,” he said.