The announcement by Prime Minister Marcel Çolaku that Romania will file a lawsuit with Austria at the European Court of Justice if it maintains its veto on joining the Schengen area did not impress Vienna. “We cannot turn a blind eye and expand an already flawed system,” Austrian European Affairs Minister Karoline Edtstadtler responded.

• “Austria’s veto on Schengen is not directed against Romania, but against a system that no longer works.
• We respect the position and understand the interests of our Romanian partners.
• At the same time, however, we cannot turn a blind eye and expand an already faulty system,” said Caroline Edtstadler (People’s Party, ÖVP) on Friday in response to a request from the Austrian press agency APA, Agerpres reports.

She argued that the European Union should “do its homework and ensure effective protection of the EU’s borders.”

“Only secure external borders make possible our vision of a Europe without internal borders,” added Austria’s Minister of European Affairs.

The day before, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) also stated again that Vienna is not giving in: “At the moment, it makes no sense for me to talk about the expansion of the Schengen zone. We need more control, not less.” He reacted after Ursula von der Leyen asked Austria to allow Romania and Bulgaria to enter Schengen “without any delay” in her annual State of the European Union speech delivered to the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg.

• VIDEO The head of the European Commission on the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen: “Let’s finally bring them to Schengen, without further delay”

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in an interview with Der Standard that Romania will file a claim with the European Court of Justice for compensation against Austria if Vienna leaves its veto on Romania’s accession to the Schengen area. Marcel Ciolacu said Romania lost two percent of its GDP due to Austria’s veto.

Marcel Ciolacu said Romania will attack Austria in the European Court of Justice if it again uses its Schengen veto in October or December, when the topic will be back on the agenda of the EU Interior Ministers’ Council. (Photo: Dreamstime.com)

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