MEP Victor Negrescu says that four scenarios are currently being considered for Romania’s accession to Schengen, in the context of which, at least for the moment, Austria continues to oppose accession. MEP Vlad Gheorghe said the strategy now focused on the idea of ​​persuading the Netherlands not to use its veto power at the upcoming JAI board, where the issue will be discussed, so that Austria would be left alone and make concessions.

According to Victor Negrescu, four scenarios are being considered:

• Romania gets a positive vote in December and joins Schengen;
• Romania gets a positive result in December, but with the prospect of joining later. In this case, either the accession will be carried out in two stages, or it is established that the actual accession will be carried out from January 2025, after the election period;
• The vote in this sense has been postponed, and the issue is planned to be discussed again in 2024, which will create an impasse, claims Negrescu;
• Romania’s accession to Schengen was rejected by a veto vote. This would mean a new block, and Romania can be seen to be acting accordingly, even challenging the decision at the Court of Justice of the European Union.

The JAI Council is on Thursday, October 19, but the topic of our country’s accession has been moved to “and others”, so we can only expect to discuss this topic again in December.

Negrescu told Romanian journalists in Strasbourg on Wednesday that “we will know in a few weeks before the Justice and Home Affairs Council” in December whether Romania will get a positive vote or not.

If Austria objects again by vetoing it, Negrescu says Romania can challenge the decision at the CJEU in partnership with European institutions: either the European Parliament or the European Commission.

Isolated Austria

MEP Vlad Gheorghe explained that the goal now is for the Netherlands to stop using its veto, so that Austria remains the only one that can oppose, and in the optimistic scenario – to give in.

“The game is for the Austrians to be left alone to succeed — and that’s what we’re all trying to do — for the Dutch to stop resisting. I don’t expect the Dutch to come out and say they support Schengen, that sounds like science fiction to me, but I hope they don’t say anything. In our case and in the case of the Bulgarians, this is all we need. I am personally convinced that the Austrians will not be alone,” Vlad Gheorghe told journalists from Romania.

“Romania itself cannot do this”

Victor Negrescu says that Romania’s accession to the Schengen zone is also the responsibility of European institutions.

“I think that beyond these four scenarios we should talk about some specific things. First of all, today we are talking about the responsibility of the European institutions to be fully involved in order to get this vote, because it is clear that Romania itself cannot do it, it is outside Romania, because the arguments presented by the Austrian government are arguments of a European nature : migration,” Negrescu said.

The MEP says that Prime Minister Marcel Čolaku “constantly” discusses the subject of Schengen accession with European leaders.

“The Prime Minister of Romania discussed and is constantly discussing with representatives of the European Commission and several European offices to create conditions for a favorable situation for our country,” said Victor Negrescu.

Read also:

• Cholos on Schengen: “With political pressure, the topic may be put on the agenda at the end of the year” / “I do not see an offensive from Romania”
• Austrian Blockade: How Long Romania Will Remain at the Schengen Gate / Some Concrete Realities Beyond Political Speeches
• 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.”