In a resolution adopted on Tuesday with 25 votes in favor, 0 votes against, and 0 abstaining, Petitions Committee MEPs ask the Council to vote by the end of 2023 in favor of admitting Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area, given that both countries have already fulfilled necessary requirements for admission. They regret the Council’s decision on 8 December 2022 to reject the accession of these two countries “without presenting any legal justification related to accession criteria”. A larger Schengen area without border controls would make the EU stronger, argue MEPs.
The fact that Romania and Bulgaria are still outside the visa-free travel area represents an important societal and economic burden for the businesses and populations of the two countries, MEPs say. Citizens of Bulgaria and Romania are discriminated, as they face delays, bureaucratic difficulties and additional costs when traveling or doing business abroad, compared to their counterparts in the Schengen area, says the text. Noting the waiting time at border crossings, MEPs note that the delays that Romanians and Bulgarians face can last from a few hours to even days –compared to the 10 minutes without internal border controls– which also worsens the working conditions of truck drivers./BGNES
