The internal affairs ministers of Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania have been invited by the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union to Prague on September 13 to discuss the three Balkan nations’ admission to the Schengen Area.
Rares Bogdan, member of the European Parliament, wrote on his Facebook page, “One of the goals of the Czech Presidency of the EU is to speed up the processes for the accession of Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia, said Vit Rakusan, the deputy prime minister and minister of interior of the Czech Republic, just moments ago in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs of the European Parliament”.
Vit Rakusen, member of Chamber of Deputies of Czechia, added that everything depends on second round of the debate, which is scheduled for the end of this month. Romania and Bulgaria have already met all the technical requirements since 2011. Thus steps should be taken to allow them to take advantage of this position.
Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, had previously announced that his country supported the admission of Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania to the Schengen Area. He added that these three nations had fulfilled all requirements for full membership in the Schengen Area and urged the EU to close any remaining gaps.
Rares Bogdan highlighted that Germany favours the nation joining the Schengen zone without borders.
He added, “We appreciate you; please bring on the tangibles! Romanians have invested significant money in border guards; they were technically qualified in 2011. Thus, keeping them at the entrance is unfair. If we must be elegant, Romania is not a Schengen member, while Hungary, the most Eurosceptic member state, is.
The accession of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen can be discussed in a council of Justice and Home Affairs scheduled for October 13.
Recently, the EU Commission requested that the European Council pass a solution authorising Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia to join the Schengen Area; however, this process is still not completed.