EP urges Member States to allow Romania and Bulgaria in Schengen area

The European Parliament has urged member states to allow Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen free-travel area without delay.

In a resolution adopted earlier today, MEPs called on the Council to adopt a decision on Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen free movement area by the end of 2022. This should ensure the abolition of checks on persons at all internal borders for both countries in early 2023.

All the major political groupings supported this position, with MEPs criticising 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.

The EPP said that the inclusion of the two countries would strengthen the Schengen area and ensure that the EU’s external borders are better protected. Its Chairman, Manfred Weber said that “the years of waiting must come to an end. We need action, not more excuses”. Iratxe Garcia Perez, President of the S&D Group said that depsite meeting all requiremetns, Bulgaria and Romania had their accession blocked by national Governments “without objective reason”.

With Croatia on its way to joining the Schengen zone, the only EU member states to remain outside the union’s border-free area are Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus and Ireland. The Schengen area also includes the non-EU states Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

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