Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania are ‘ready’ to join Schengen: European Commission

Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania are ‘ready’ to join Schengen: European Commission

Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania are “ready” to join the passport-free Schengen Area after having “strongly proven” they meet all the necessary criteria, the European Commission has said.
Schengen enables cross-border travel without the need to carry a passport or pass through border controls.

“It’s high time to say welcome,” Ylva Johansson, the EU’s home affairs commissioner, said on Wednesday while unveiling a new report that argues in favor of the three countries’ readiness.

“The wait has been long, I should say, too long. Expectations are high, rightly so, from authorities but not at least citizens.”

Schengen has boosted the EU’s economy and lifted standards of living since it was established back in 1995, Johansson said, calling on member states to take a “decision in all our interest” and approve the pending candidacies.

“Schengen is Europe. These three member states deserve to feel fully European,” she said.

The European Commission’s unconditional endorsement comes in the lead-up to a high-stakes meeting of interior ministers in December, where the issue of Schengen accession will come back to the table.

Joining Schengen requires, among other things, the application of common rules, proper management of external borders, sharing of security information and efficient police cooperation.

A unanimous vote is required to admit new members.

Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania have been waiting for years to join the passport-free area, which currently encompasses 26 nations, including 22 EU countries, and almost 420 million citizens.

In the case of Bulgaria and Romania, the wait has stretched over more than a decade. The Commission confirmed the countries’ readiness back in 2011 and has repeatedly called on member states to grant accession.

The European Parliament has passed several resolutions — one as recently as October — calling their continued exclusion discriminatory and demanding immediate accession.

Initially, the twin bids of Bulgaria and Romania were opposed by France, Germany, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Belgium over concerns related to corruption, organized crime and judicial reforms.

Gradually, though, the opposition eased. This year saw both French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz give their support.

“Schengen is one of the greatest achievements of the European Union, and we should protect and develop it. This means, incidentally, closing gaps that remain,” Scholz said in late August.

Finland and Denmark have equally softened their positions, Euronews understands.

But last month, the Dutch Parliament adopted a resolution urging the government of Prime Minister Mark Rutte to block the two applications until further investigations are conducted.

Dutch lawmakers argued the prevalence of corruption and organized crime in Bulgaria and Romania posed “a risk to the security of the Netherlands and the entire Schengen Area.”

In Sweden, the new right-wing government is struggling to secure enough votes to support the two applications, local media report.

In a bid to win over the remaining skeptics, Sofia and Bucharest invited the European Commission and EU states to organize a fact-finding mission of experts and examine the situation on the ground.

The team of 17 experts visited the two countries in the first half of October. According to Johansson, the findings were “positive” and reaffirmed their readiness to join. Another mission is now taking place to resolve outstanding questions.

“From the Commission’s side, we think all facts are on the table already,” Johansson said when asked about the Dutch reticence. “But of course, we stand ready to (provide) any additional answers that is necessary.”

All eyes turn now to the EU Council, where politics hold great sway.

The Czech Republic, which currently holds the Council’s rotating presidency and is tasked with steering debates, has made Schengen enlargement one of its top priorities.

But the clock is ticking: the next — and likely last — chance that Prague will have to put the long-stalled question to a vote will on Dec. 8 and 9, when justice and home affairs ministers are scheduled to meet.

Two separate votes will be held: one on Croatia, and another one on Romania and Bulgaria, a Czech spokesperson told Euronews. Only a unanimous endorsement can abolish checks at all internal borders.

“This will be a truly European decision,” Johansson said about the upcoming votes.

“Schengen has survived the turbulence of recent years. These challenges have been surmounted because of a shared European spirit. And this spirit must continue.”

Should the three countries be accepted, only two out of the 27 EU member states would remain out of Schengen: Ireland, which voluntarily opted out to maintain its own travel scheme with the UK, and Cyprus, which remains divided between north and south.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
×