While migration issues come back to the foreground and Austria or the Czech Republic relaunch border controls, some states still refuse that these three countries integrate the European free circulation space.
by Philippe Jacqué (Brussels, European office)
“Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia are ready to enter the Schengen area.” Wednesday, November 16, Ylva Johansson, the commissioner in charge of internal affairs, reiterated the European Commission’s request to grant without delay At the three countries the right to join the free movement space, where border controls are no longer, in principle, organized.
“The wait was too long. They are ready and the European Union [EU] is ready to welcome them,” insisted the Swedish commissioner. Romania and Bulgaria have been waiting to enter this area bringing together 26 countries -22 EU members of the EU, and four non -members of which are now for eleven years -, including Switzerland -and which allows more than 420 million inhabitants to travel without going out their passport on the essentials of the continent. The candidacy of Croatia, which joined the EU in 2013, was evaluated positively by the Schengen space states in December 2021, but the country is still waiting for its formal reception.
This request from the Commission comes three weeks before the next Council of Interior Ministers, which must decide whether it widens the Schengen space in January 2023. Like Parliament, which multiplies the resolutions in favor of the Enlargement of Schengen, the Commission wishes to complete “one of the great successes of the Union”, as Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor, in Prague. 2> a decision to be taken at the end of August. Unanimity
The fact remains that the twenty-two members of the EU and Schengen must still be convinced, the decision taking it unanimous. Politically, such a decision, while the migration question returns in force in public debate, is sensitive. The absence of borders also facilitates the circulation of migrants. After two years of pandemic, who had seen the number of arrivals of asylum seekers to lower, the flows go back strongly on the continent since the beginning of the year, and this via several ways. The Mediterranean Road, of course, which has given rise to harsh exchanges between Italy and France about the docking of the Ocean-Viking, but also the Way of Western Balkans.
On this road, many countries, Austria and Hungary in mind, have already put in place of the interior controls, which contradict Schengen’s letter, to slow down the passage of these people. Now, Slovenia evokes such a recourse if the Schengen space welcomes Croatia, announced, Monday, November 14, Tanja Fajon, Minister Slovenian of Foreign Affairs.
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