Schengen allows cross-border travel without having to have a passport or go through border controls. It currently includes 26 nations, including 22 EU countries, and nearly 420 million citizens. “It’s time to say welcome,” Ylva Johansson, the EU’s home affairs commissioner, said on Wednesday as she unveiled a new report supporting the three countries’ preparedness. “The wait has been long, I should say, very long. Expectations are high, rightly so, from the authorities but not least from the citizens.” Schengen has strengthened the EU’s economy and raised living standards since it was established in 1995, Johansson said, calling on member states to take a “decision in our best interest” and approve the pending applications without further delay. “Schengen is Europe. These three member states deserve to feel fully European,” he said. The European Commission’s unconditional endorsement comes ahead of a high-stakes meeting of home ministers in December, where the issue of Schengen will be back on the table. A unanimous vote is required to admit new members. Schengen membership requires, among other things, the application of common rules, the proper management of external borders, the exchange of security information and effective police cooperation. The three countries “have the tools, structures and processes in place,” Johansson said, praising their strong track records and legal commitments. So far, that hasn’t been enough for Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, which have been waiting years to join the passport-free zone – a legal requirement for every country entering the European Union. Croatia completed its assessment process in 2020 and received a positive assessment in December 2021. In the case of Bulgaria and Romania, the wait stretches for more than a decade. The Commission confirmed countries’ readiness in 2011 and has repeatedly called on Member States to grant admission. The European Parliament has passed several resolutions – one as recently as October – calling their continued exclusion “discriminatory” and demanding immediate accession. Initially, the dual candidacies of Bulgaria and Romania were opposed by France, Germany, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Belgium due to concerns about corruption, organized crime and judicial reforms. Gradually, however, the opposition softened. This year, both French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have given their support. “Schengen is one of the greatest achievements of the European Union and we must protect and develop it. This means, by the way, closing the gaps that remain,” Solz said at the end of August. Finland and Denmark have similarly softened their stances, Euronews understands. But last month, the Dutch parliament passed a resolution calling on Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s government to block the two applications pending further investigations. Dutch lawmakers have argued that the prevalence of corruption and organized crime in Bulgaria and Romania is a “security risk for the Netherlands and the entire Schengen area”. In Sweden, the new right-wing government is struggling to secure enough votes to support the two applications, local media report. In an attempt to win over the remaining skeptics, Sofia and Bucharest called on the European Commission and EU states to organize a fact-finding mission of experts and examine the situation on the ground. The team of 17 experts visited the two countries in the first fortnight of October. According to Johansson, the findings were “positive” and confirmed their readiness to participate. Another mission is now underway to resolve outstanding issues. “From the Commission’s side, we believe that all the facts are already on the table,” Johansson said when asked about the Netherlands’ reticence. “But, of course, we stand ready to (provide) any additional answers that are necessary.” All eyes are now on the EU Council, where politics reign supreme. The Czech Republic, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council and is tasked with leading the discussions, has made Schengen enlargement one of its top priorities. But time is running out: the next – and likely last – chance Prague will have to put the long-simmering question to a vote will be on December 8 and 9, when the justice and interior ministers are scheduled to meet. Two separate votes will be held: one for Croatia and another for Romania and Bulgaria, a Czech representative told Euronews. Only a unanimous approval can remove controls at all internal borders. “This will be a truly European decision,” Johansson said of the upcoming votes. “Schengen has survived the turmoil of recent years. These challenges have been overcome because of a common European spirit. And this spirit must continue.” If the three countries are accepted, only two of the 27 EU member states would remain outside Schengen: Ireland, which has voluntarily chosen to maintain its own travel program with the UK, and Cyprus, which remains split between the North and South.
