European Parliament Calls For Bulgaria And Romania To Join Schengen End 2023
The European Union’s Parliament has adopted a new resolution, urging the EU Council to take seriously the matter of Schengen accession for Bulgaria and Romania and let both countries join the borderless zone before the end of the year.
In a press release issued on 12 July, the parliament revealed that the new resolution, which stresses that both countries have met all necessary criteria to join Schengen, was supported by 526 MEPs, while only 57 were against it and 42 abstained.
In a statement, the European Parliament said that MEPs regretted the decision of the EU Council in December 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,”
“All member states have the right to join Schengen once they are ready.”
European Union’s Parliament
According to the parliament, the fact that Romania and Bulgaria are still outside the free travel zone burdens the business and population of both countries in social and economic terms.
Citizens of Bulgaria and Romania are discriminated against because they face delays, bureaucratic difficulties, and additional costs when travelling or doing business abroad compared to their colleagues in the Schengen area.
In addition to the damage done to the EU's single market by hindering the free movement of goods between European member states, the text also cites “irreparable damage” to the environment that is inconsistent with the European Union's climate neutrality goals.
Currently, all EU member states except Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, and Romania are part of the Schengen area.
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