Schengen within reach

Yesterday, we have taken a large step towards the Schengen accession of Bulgaria and Romania. The home affairs ministers have unanimously established that the two countries have fulfilled the technical conditions of accession. Meaning we have accomplished an important objective of the Presidency.

The task was complex and we had known the reservations of Member States before we took on the Presidency. A few days before Christmas, a letter was written by the French and German Home Affairs Ministers, which formulated clearly the concerns regarding the accession of the two countries. Although in this period several opinions were voiced on the possible long-term freezing of the Romanian and Bulgarian accession process, we have still committed ourselves in our Presidency programme to do our utmost to ensure the Schengen accession of the two countries.

Our decision was motivated by matters of principle: we believed that forward-looking integration, maintenance of European policies serving the prosperity of the people, is in the European interest since it is important for every actor. Therefore, we undertook the steps needed in order to keep the process alive as well as finding solutions by the end of our Presidency, which will enable us to bring the differences in political opinion to a common denominator, and find comforting solutions for every affected party: for those who await their accession as well as for those who maintain their reservations. The most difficult challenge was to maintain the perspective of accession, despite the reservations. We clearly denied to formulating new accession criteria for the two countries.

It is also important to realise, it is the Member States  i.e. the Council who makes the decisions on Schengen matters; however, the Commission and the European Parliament play a very limited role. Therefore, the task of the Presidency, which leads the Council, is more difficult: as we had to conduct the background conciliations. As a result, the Council has practically accepted that Bulgaria and Romania have fulfilled their accession criteria, without any substantial debate. The Council declared that at its next meeting in September, it will return to this matter. So now a clear timeframe is determined for the decision on their accession. Let me recall: when we entered the Schengen community, the decision was also made at the next Council meeting, following the one, which declared our technical preparedness.

Therefore, we have good reason to believe that the affirmative decision on the accession is now within reach.