The Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union will strive to achieve unanimity at the December summit regarding the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen zone, Czech Foreign Minister Mikulas Bek said on Wednesday at the plenary session of the European Parliament.

• German MEP: Germany never opposed the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen zone
• Dutch MEP: I am ashamed of the Dutch government, I ask the prime minister to support the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen zone
• “In recent years, the Schengen area has experienced such challenges as the wave of migrants in 2015-2016 and the consequences of the current conflict in Ukraine.
• The (Czech) Presidency of the Council of the EU considers the enlargement of the Schengen area to be a fundamental element and seeks to make progress for the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to this space,” Beck said at a plenary session in Strasbourg where the accession process of Romania and Bulgaria is being discussed. in the Schengen area.

Voting on the European Parliament resolution on this topic is scheduled for the plenary session on October 17-20.

The Czech official said that the visits of European experts to Romania and Bulgaria will begin next week.

“Romania and Bulgaria have been waiting for the Council’s decision for more than 11 years”

For his part, the vice-president of the European Commission for the promotion of the European way of life, Margaritis Skinas, reminded that Romania and Bulgaria have long met the technical criteria for joining the Schengen zone, which was recognized since 2011.

• “Over the past 35 years, we have built a whole architecture for the Schengen area, and we must continue to improve this architecture.
• The Europeans’ support for Schengen shows its importance.
• Romania and Bulgaria have been waiting for the Council’s decision for more than 11 years. I want to praise the Romanian and Bulgarian partners for the way they managed the external borders of the Union in the conditions of a large wave of Ukrainian refugees,” emphasized Schinas.

He added that the two countries remain committed to applying the Schengen acquis and ensuring security at the external borders, noting that the upcoming visit of European experts does not mean a reassessment of the preparations of the two countries, but only an opportunity for member states to receive the latest updates on the application of Schengen rules in Romania and Bulgaria.

• “The European Commission once again declares its full support for the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen. We have the opportunity to make this historic decision in December,” concluded the representative of the EU executive.

The leader of the European People’s Party faction, Manfred Weber, also stated that Romania and Bulgaria meet all the conditions to become members of the Schengen area.

• “Romania and Bulgaria have waited 11 years, something like this is unacceptable, there is no objective reason to leave two countries outside Schengen. The EPP has always and constantly fought for the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen zone, and we ask the Council to give the green light,” insisted the German Member of the European Parliament

“This stalemate in the Council must be ended, solidarity must be applicable to all”

According to the leader of the S&D group, Iraçe García Pérez, keeping Romania and Bulgaria out of the Schengen zone without an objective technical reason in this regard is “ultimately a question of justice”.

• “This impasse in the Council must stop, solidarity must be applicable to all. We must pass a resolution and send a very clear message to the Council,” said the Spanish MEP.

“After 11 years, I am ashamed of the citizens of Romania and Bulgaria, who rightly believe that they are not treated equally”

Dutch MEP Sofia In’t Veld, a member of the Netherlands’ ruling Democraten 66 party, said she was ashamed that the Hague government opposes Romania and Bulgaria joining the Schengen area and asked Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to support the expansion European area of ​​free movement and with two candidate countries.

• “I am ashamed of the Dutch government because that government has been one of the main obstacles here, mostly for political reasons. Respect for rights and laws is not something optional. Therefore, I ask the Prime Minister of the Netherlands to respect the law and support the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen zone. I believe that in such times, European unity should stand above national interests. Bulgaria and Romania have their place in the Schengen area,” said Sofia In ‘t Veld.

She reminded that since 2011, the European Commission recommended the EU Council to approve the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen zone.

• “As I heard, the assessment of Romania and Bulgaria for joining the Schengen zone has long been completed.
• In 2011, the European Commission already recommended their entry. After 11 years, in 2022, dear colleagues, I am ashamed.
• I am ashamed of Romanians and Bulgarians who rightly feel that they are not treated equally and that they have not been given the same right to travel without borders.
• I am ashamed that the Council did not fulfill its obligations. We have established some general procedures and some evaluation mechanisms, so we have to respect the result.
• The Schengen process should not become a battleground for other political issues,” said the Restore Europe MEP.

The representative of the Greens group, Tineke Strick, also said that it is in the interests of the European Union for Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen area, but she is in favor of “an objective decision based on merit, without mixing political issues.”

“We do not need Romania and Bulgaria either in the European Union or in Schengen”

Instead, German MEP Guido Rehl of the Identity and Democracy (ID) group launched a scathing attack on Romania and Bulgaria, arguing that the two countries should not be admitted to Schengen and that their EU membership was a mistake.

• “I have been to Romania many times in the last year, and I want to be friendly when I say that Romania is the Wild West of Europe.
• I saw much better infrastructure in Ukraine than in Romania. We don’t need Romania and Bulgaria either in the European Union or in Schengen,” said Reil, a member of the nationalist-authoritarian Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, quoted by Agerpres.

After this intervention, the chairperson of the meeting drew the German MEP’s attention to the insulting tone used and announced that she would inform EP President Robert Metzol in order to impose sanctions on him.

German MEP Gunnar Beck (ID group) estimated that the reform of the Schengen area is needed, and not its expansion by “admitting three corrupt states” (Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, – ed.), referring to this argument Transparency International index. In his opinion, the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen will lead to mass migration.

In December, the issue of Schengen expansion will be raised again at the EU Council.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament, at the request of the European Socialists, discussed a non-legislative resolution on the extension of Schengen. (Photo: Dreamstime)