The European Parliament on Tuesday urged member states to allow Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen free-travel area without delay.
In a resolution, MEPs said the Council should adopt a decision on Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen free movement area by the end of 2022.
This should ensure the abolition of checks on persons at all internal borders for both countries in early 2023. The resolution was adopted with 547 votes in favor, 49 votes against, and 43 abstentions.
Romanian MEP Rares Bogdan said: „The path is clear for Romania to join Schengen! An overwhelming vote for Romania’s accession to the Schengen space!” he said noting the extreme right-wing lawmakers had voted against.
Lawmakers noted that Schengen area is “one of the greatest achievements of the European Union”, and criticized the Council’s failure to take a decision on the two countries who joined the European Union in 2007.
Both countries have long since fulfilled the necessary conditions, they said. Maintaining internal border controls is discriminatory and has “a serious impact on the lives of mobile workers and citizens, “MEPs say.
By obstructing imports, exports and the free flow of goods from freight ports, they also harm the EU single market.
All U member states except Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania are part of the Schengen area, which also encompasses non-EU states Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
It’s not the first time MEPs have called for Bulgaria and Romania to be fully admitted into Schengen.
There were resolutions in 2018 and 2020 and a 2021 report on the functioning of the free travel area.
The accession of new countries to the Schengen area requires a unanimous decision by the Council of the EU. The Czech Presidency of the Council has indicated it intends to hold discussions on the subject before the end of 2022.
