Schengen area: the European Parliament supports the accession of Romania and Bulgaria

The European Parliament urges EU countries to allow Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen free movement zone.

Both countries are members of the European Union for 15 years Now, they remain outside the passport-free zone due to a political blockage.

MEPs believe that maintaining internal EU border controls is discriminatory and has an impact on the lives of people and workers. They also claim that the two countries have fulfilled the necessary conditions for membership.

“With regard to the Schengen criteria, both countries are willing to abide by them, which we have repeatedly said here in Parliament through all the decisions that we have presented.The case has stalled all this time at the political level, and this is where the effort must be made Currently. I am convinced, on the basis of the debate we are having in Parliament and the political signal that will be transmitted, that the Council [de l’UE] In December he will finally take this important step in the evolution of the Schengen policy. “, Dragoi Tudorach, Romanian Member of the European Parliament and former Minister of the Interior, explains.

The decision comes after the European Parliament voted on TuesdayWhich overwhelmingly supported the candidacy of Bucharest and Sofia.

This decision is non-binding, but increases pressure on EU member states to welcome these two cities into the Schengen area. A vote is expected in December.

If adopted, all physical controls at the internal borders of Romania and Bulgaria could be abolished as early as 2023.

But not all political groups agree.

Patricia Chagnon, MEP from the National Assembly said: “We have seen in recent years that the European external borders are not protected, so our concern is with security within the Schengen area … so we want to wait and we want to get confirmation, before getting another membership, that we can actually protect our external borders.”

The expansion of the Schengen area requires all EU countries to vote in favor of the accession of any new member, which means that any disagreement will be decisive.

Currently, the 27 member states, excluding Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania, are part of the Schengen Area. Four non-EU countries are also included – Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.