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Finland had earlier demanded that border controls be removed at the same time at air land and sea frontiers. Germany and France had demanded that Romania and Bulgaria’s air and sea borders with the Schengen area were opened in March, with the land borders to follow in July.

In September Finland opposed this plan, along with the Netherlands. Schengen expansion has to be approved unanimously by existing members, so the Finns and Dutch were effectively wielding their vetoes.

Their opposition was grounded in the fear that organised crime in the two countries would create problems if free movement to Schengen countries was granted.

Finland’s position shifted a little yesterday, when Reuters reported that European Affairs Minister Alexander Stubb said that Finland would be willing to take a two-track approach – first opening air and sea borders, before later making a separate decision on land borders.

The EU Observer website reported on Tuesday that Finland no longer opposed Bulgaria and Romania’s admission to the Schengen area, but Finnish Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen denied that the government’s line had changed that much.

She emphasised that the only adjustment was that Finland now accepted a two-stage introduction of Schengen border controls, but added she believes that Romania and Bulgaria are not yet ready to join Schengen.

She added that Finland is waiting on an EU Commission report into efforts to fight corruption and reform the judiciary in Bulgaria and Romania that will be ready in February.