The European Parliament (EP) adopted on October 17 another resolution on the Schengen membership of Romania and Bulgaria, recommending the two countries for admission into the free-travel area “without delay.” The resolution was adopted with 547 votes in favour, 49 votes against, and 43 abstaining.

The MEPs say the Council should adopt a decision on Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen area by the end of 2022. According to the European Parliament, this “should ensure the abolition of checks on persons at all internal borders for both countries in early 2023.”

“Noting that the Schengen area is “one of the greatest achievements of the European Union,” MEPs criticise the Council’s failure to take a decision on admitting Bulgaria and Romania, even though the two countries have long since fulfilled the necessary conditions. Maintaining internal border controls is discriminatory and has a serious impact on the lives of mobile workers and citizens, MEPs say. By obstructing imports, exports and the free flow of goods from freight ports, they also harm the EU single market,” reads the EP press release.

Schengen is a border-free area that guarantees free movement to more than 400 million EU citizens and non-EU nationals. Today, the Schengen Area encompasses most EU countries, except for Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania. Non-EU states Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein are also part of the Schengen area.

MEPs have called for Bulgaria and Romania to be fully admitted into Schengen on multiple occasions, such as in a 2018 resolution on the topic, the 2020 resolution on the state of Schengen in the context of the pandemic, and a 2021 report on the functioning of the free travel area.

The October 17 resolution is the conclusion of a plenary debate from October 5, which proved that a clear majority of MEPs back Romania and Bulgaria’s membership in the Schengen area and that a similar opinion is now dominant in the Council.

The accession of new countries to Schengen requires a unanimous decision by the Council of the EU. According to the EP, the Czech Presidency of the Council has indicated that it intends to hold discussions on the subject before the end of 2022.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Seyephoto/Dreamstime.com)