The Brief – EU’s three biggest islands

The European Union's largest islands by geographical size include Ireland, Sicily, and Sardinia. Ireland spans 84,000 square kilometers, with the Republic of Ireland being an EU territory and Northern Ireland part of the UK. Notably, the Republic of Ireland is not a member of the Schengen Area, which complicates its integration with the rest of Europe. In contrast, Sicily and Sardinia are fully integrated into the EU and Schengen as part of Italy. However, there are larger territories within the EU that function as de facto islands due to their geographical and political circumstances. Bulgaria and Romania, both EU members since 2007, have land areas of 111,002 square kilometers and 238,397 square kilometers, respectively. They are obligated to join Schengen and have expressed a desire to do so, yet they face challenges in achieving full membership. Greece, a member of the EU since 1981 and part of Schengen since 2007, also presents a unique case. It does not share a land border with the rest of Schengen, making it effectively an island in terms of EU integration. Despite efforts, Bulgaria and Romania have only partially joined Schengen, allowing air travel without passport control while land borders remain regulated. Romania has raised concerns about the economic impact of not being a full Schengen member, estimating a loss of €10 billion annually. This situation highlights the complexities of EU integration and the varying degrees of membership and cooperation among its member states.