site.btaUPDATED Vast Majority of MEPs Adopt Resolution Urging Romania and Bulgaria’s Accession to Schengen Area by End-2023

In a resolution adopted on Wednesday in a 526-57 vote with 42 abstentions, the European Parliament called on the Council to approve the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria. The MEPs stress that both countries have already fulfilled the necessary requirements to be admitted into visa-free travel area. They voice regret over the Council’s decision of December 8, 2022 to reject their membership “without presenting any legal justification related to accession criteria”.

A larger Schengen area without border controls would make the EU stronger, say MEPs.

"The fact that Romania and Bulgaria are still outside the visa-free travel area burdens the businesses and populations of the two countries socially and economically. Citizens of Bulgaria and Romania are discriminated against, as they face delays, bureaucratic difficulties and additional costs when travelling or doing business abroad, compared to their counterparts in the Schengen area," says the text. The MEPs note that the delays at border crossings faced by Romanians and Bulgarians can last from a few hours to even days –compared to an average of 10 minutes without internal border checks, which also worsens working conditions for truck drivers. 

It is noted that the European Commission has also called on the Council to take all necessary decisions without further delay to allow Bulgaria and Romania to become full Schengen members. A total of 46,000 t of carbon dioxide are emitted per year due to the failure to lift internal border controls for Romania and Bulgaria. Also, Bulgaria and Romania have experienced significant financial losses over the last 11 years, the EP notes.

It states that the failure of the Council to make a decision on the accession of the two countries in December 2022 was motivated by national domestic political campaigns rather than the actual accession criteria.

The MEPs invite the European Commission "to consider analyzing possible breaches of the Treaty on European Union" and note with concern that "the refusal to extend the Schengen area to include Romania and Bulgaria has had a devastating effect on public support for the EU".

They insist that the next vote by the Council should be taken before the end of the year, avoiding the possibility of veto abuse.