Interior Minister Lucian Bode said on Friday that a decision on Romania’s accession to the Schengen area could be made at the JAI Council, which is due to take place in March. Bode said that there is no question of disconnection from Bulgaria yet.

“The rules are very clear. The decision on the accession of Romania to the Schengen area can be made in the Council of Justice and Internal Affairs, Department of Internal Affairs. The JAI board is scheduled for March. If by that time there will be an extraordinary Council and the current presidency of the EU, the Czech Republic, the future presidency, Sweden, from January 1 will agree together with the European Commission, together with the candidate states, and here I mean Romania and Bulgaria. To bring this issue to order daily, in the opinion of the legal service of the Commission, it is not necessary to go through all the procedures that have already been passed, but in fact voting and unanimity,” explained the Minister of Internal Affairs of the PNL. headquarters.

When asked about the possibility of separation from Bulgaria in the future, Bode answered: “With the new procedure for evaluating a candidate country, everything is relatively easier. So far, no state has been evaluated under the new procedure. At the Council that will take place next week, it will be seen for sure, and this topic is not on the agenda, it is the topic of migration, but I am sure that this topic will also be discussed. For now, we remain in this scenario with the possibility of putting it on the agenda at the JAI Council in March or at any other extraordinary Council.”

Austria blocked Romania’s accession to Schengen in the JAI Council on Thursday. The Netherlands, which opposed Bulgaria’s entry, also voted against, as the vote was cast as a “package” for the two countries.

According to sources close to the discussions at the European level, the most realistic moment for a favorable decision for Romania could be the JAI council in the spring.

This issue can also be discussed at the European Council next week, where a position favorable to Romania can be established, but it cannot impose it on the JAI ministers. In theory, an emergency council could be convened, but given Austria’s objections, it is likely that things will change, the same sources told HotNews.ro.

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