European Parliament backs Romania’s Schengen entry

European Parliament passes resolution calling on EU Council to approve Romanias and Bulgarias Schengen membership.

Sorin Iordan, 13.07.2023, 14:00

Romania and Bulgaria should be in Schengen by the end of the year, said the European Parliament in a resolution adopted on Wednesday with 526 votes in favour, 57 votes against and 42 abstaining. The resolution points out that both countries have fulfilled the necessary requirements to be admitted into Schengen and vetoing their accession fuels anti-European sentiment and is damaging the economy. MEPs regret the EU Councils decision of 8th December 2022 to reject the two countries membership „without presenting any legal justification related to accession criteria”.

The text of the resolution says that the citizens of Romania and Bulgaria are discriminated against because they face delays, bureaucratic difficulties and additional costs when travelling or doing business abroad, compared to their counterparts in the Schengen area. The resolution calls on the Commission to estimate the opportunity costs and the environmental damage that Romania and Bulgaria have suffered since June 2011 due to the „unjustified denial” of Schengen membership and analyse possible financial compensation mechanisms.

In an interview to Radio Romania, MEP Victor Negrescu said, however, that there are three remaining opportunities by the end of the year to make a decision on Schengen membership during the meetings of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, but that Austria, which blocked Romanias entry in December last year, has given no indication that it changed its position. Victor Negrescu:

„Our wish is for it to happen by the end of the year, but we shouldnt jump to conclusions like we did last year, when we spoke so much about accession and it didnt happen; this year wed rather explore the existing diplomatic avenues and insist making our case and trying to change the position of the Austrian government so that we can have a favourable decision in the end. But were not there yet. I believe this year will be even more difficult than last year, because were approaching the elections for the European Parliament and elections in Austria, which appear to revolve around the theme of migration, a theme the Austrian chancellor has consistently promoted.”

In December 2022, Austria blocked Romanias membership saying Romania was part of the Balkan route of illegal migration. The allegation was rejected by the Romanian administration and officially contradicted by European institutions, including the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex. To date, out of the European Unions 27 member states, only Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Ireland are not yet part of Schengen, while states that are not part of the EU like Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein have Schengen membership. (CM)