The recent visit of the Austrian Minister of the Interior does not give us hope for a quick accession to the Schengen area. In the statements made to the press, there is neither a calendar nor a very big start to specify the steps that can be taken to allow Romania to join this year.

Romania and Bulgaria are students who were accepted into the European class as a package, but they were always at the top of the class, with unfinished European subjects, and this image and reputation seems to still be there, as can be seen very well in the case of the accession file to the Schengen area. Although Croatia joined the euro later, in 2013, within 10 years it also managed to join the euro area and the Schengen area. Romania and Bulgaria were once again correct in this regard, on December 8, 2022 classmates Austria and the Netherlands opposed the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen club.

What does Schengen mean to Romanians?

Simply put, stop standing in lines. For millions of Romanians working abroad, for seasonal workers, for Romanian transporters and for the economy in general, Schengen means the absence of border controls, time gained and, above all, the full realization of free movement.

Romania and the single market lose billions of euros every year due to the time and costs of waiting at customs. How many billions of euros has it cost Romanian and European companies in the last 12 years?

Until recently, problems in the judicial system and the fight against corruption were reasons cited by other states, especially the Netherlands, to oppose Romania’s accession. Meanwhile, in the European classroom, more recalcitrant students such as Poland and Hungary, which are part of the Schengen area, have shown that worse can be done. The MCV is already in history, but still it went into the shadows, as a report on the rule of law was made for each member state, and especially with a provision on the conditions of non-compliance with the rule of law, which could lead to the suspension of European funds in states where the financial interests of the EU are under threat due to non-compliance with the rule of law, as is the case with Hungary today.

Problems in the judicial system, solved only on paper, did not destroy the mistrust on the part of other countries. When they drew, Croatia got good points, while Romania and Bulgaria were relegated to a draw.

Even though Romania and Bulgaria received passing grades and positive reviews in the catalog, it seems that they are not doing so well in terms of popularity in the class. The vote in the JVS nevertheless showed the reluctance of member states to trust the promises of decision-makers. Of course, Austria’s motives are known, the current government tried to score political points in the elections on the controversial topic of migration by scapegoating Romania and Bulgaria.

Who is against?

Directly Austria, which has announced it will vote against and continues to be reluctant, did not send any timetable for accession during the recent visit of Austrian Minister Karner. Indirectly, the Netherlands also opposes Romania’s accession, or, in any case, a vote against Bulgaria would have the same effect for Romania.

Apart from these two countries, we do not really know how much other states support us and whether Austria and the Netherlands do not really stand up to other member states. In any case, it seems that no major European power is making much effort to unblock the situation. Aside from public policy statements, it appears that Austria and the Netherlands have not yet moved an inch to address the situation.

The current reason Austria cites is the migration problem and the Schengen system, which is not working and should be improved. Of course, this excuse was not used in the case of Croatia.

In addition, Chancellor Nehammer demands the construction of a wall in Bulgaria. Although a detailed package of migration and asylum policy reforms has been under consideration since 2015, there is no consensus on how to move forward in negotiations. Moreover, the theme of migration will return even stronger in 2024, during the elections.

where are we

Spain will hold the rotating presidency of the EU Council from the second half of 2023. Romania believes that if the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen zone is set as a priority of the Spanish presidency, the problems will turn around. But we have already seen that problems cannot be solved if the diplomatic homework has not been done first. At the moment, we see from the press that Romania is intensifying discussions at all levels, with Bulgaria, Spain, now the visit of the Austrian Minister of the Interior, to try to create a favorable moment for the second half of the year. The visit of the Austrian minister can be seen as the beginning of a thaw. However, his statements do not leave much room for positive interpretation, although the visit ended with the signing of an action plan on migration.

What hasn’t the Romanian government done in the last 12 years?

Since the positive conclusion of the European Commission in 2011 regarding the fulfillment of all technical criteria, the Romanian authorities have not made many diplomatic moves to join the Schengen area.

First, we have not prepared all possible scenarios for achieving this goal. From diplomatic channels to changing Romania’s reputation in Europe. This is the largest elephant in the European class. An image that does not give confidence to other states that these countries can ensure the security of the external borders of the EU. Because in addition to not standing in the queue anymore, Romania and Bulgaria have to guard the external borders of the EU.

Achilles heel: Bulgaria

Romania and Bulgaria are participating in the accession process together. This means that a vote against one country fails another. The version of secession now, in short, goes beyond theory and law, requires significant efforts from Romania regarding the border protection system between Romania and Bulgaria. Apart from this aspect, political secession would not solve the situation at the moment if Bulgaria decided to use its veto.

However, the version of secession cannot be completely ignored, if Bulgaria remains the only vulnerable party to the accession, the Romanian authorities must prepare the ground for secession. The question is why this script was not prepared all these years? This is a stoic view, we cannot care about external problems that we cannot control. Bulgaria remains an external vulnerability beyond our control, but which also affects Romania’s accession process. Can Romania convince the Netherlands to change its mind?

What can Romania do to speed up the accession process?

The Romanian authorities must move to a higher level of European diplomacy. For example, this year will require a mid-year review of the EU’s multiannual budget, the MFF. This is a file that requires a unanimous vote. Major European powers want the revision to give more flexibility to the current budget, which is too rigid and was discussed before the pandemic and the war. Romania may announce that it will not vote for this revision if the Schengen file is not unlocked by then. Even if this position is not favorable from a budgetary point of view, this position may force the larger countries and the European Commission to make a significant effort to convince Austria and the Netherlands to unblock the accession of Romania and Bulgaria. Read the full article and comments on Contributors.ro