Abolition of internal border controls is a great achievement of the European integration
One of the key issues of the plenary session of the European Parliament in June consisted of the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Shengen Area. The Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committee of the EP supported the issue through its opinion on the subject, but rapporteur of the subject Carlo Coelho (EPP, Portugal) analyzed the preparations made by the two member states and emphasized that the EP still requires confirmation about the additional measures in regard to the implementation.
One of these measures is the (strengthening) securing of the Bulgarian-Turkish-Greek border area because (it ) urrently it cannot cope with the wave of immigrants. The LIBE Committee considered the minor shortcomings cannot be an obstacle in the accession, even though the ability to guarantee the security of the external borders of the EU is crucial.
DAHR’s MEP Csaba Sógor also participated in the debate. Here follows his speech on the subject:
„The Coelho report states that Romania, as well as Bulgaria, have proven themselves ready to properly implement the achievements of the Schengen aquis. Nevertheless, the exact date of the accession of the two countries to the Schengen Area is yet undecided because some member states consider that their accession would cause disturbances in the Schengen system, regardless of the findings of different EU institutions. With proper acknowledgement of the Romanian justice systems shortcomings, I would like to call the attention of my colleagues and the representatives of the member states of the Council that they are deciding , at this moment, about the everyday lives of 30 million EU citizens. The abolition of internal border controls is a great achievement of the European integration, and Romanian and Bulgarian citizens rightfully expect to be able to enjoy the Schengen achievement. It is my firm opinion that Europe would a lot stronger if Romania and Bulgaria could adhere to the Schengen Area in this year.”
New member states have to fully comply with Schengen requirements. Control of the land and sea borders, as well as of the airspace. Ensuring visa requirements, law enforcement cooperation, the management of the SIS database and the guarantee of data security are all pre-requirements of the EP consultation, that precedes the Council decision about the abolition of border controls on internal borders.
The EP voted on the subject on Wednesday. 487 MEPs supported the implementation of Schengen achievements in Romania and Bulgaria, while 29 MEPs opposed it and 77 abstained. Nevertheless, unanimous support from all Council members is needed for the two countries to adhere to the Schengen Area.
DAHR’s MEP Csaba Sógor also participated in the debate. Here follows his speech on the subject:
„The Coelho report states that Romania, as well as Bulgaria, have proven themselves ready to properly implement the achievements of the Schengen aquis. Nevertheless, the exact date of the accession of the two countries to the Schengen Area is yet undecided because some member states consider that their accession would cause disturbances in the Schengen system, regardless of the findings of different EU institutions. With proper acknowledgement of the Romanian justice systems shortcomings, I would like to call the attention of my colleagues and the representatives of the member states of the Council that they are deciding , at this moment, about the everyday lives of 30 million EU citizens. The abolition of internal border controls is a great achievement of the European integration, and Romanian and Bulgarian citizens rightfully expect to be able to enjoy the Schengen achievement. It is my firm opinion that Europe would a lot stronger if Romania and Bulgaria could adhere to the Schengen Area in this year.”
New member states have to fully comply with Schengen requirements. Control of the land and sea borders, as well as of the airspace. Ensuring visa requirements, law enforcement cooperation, the management of the SIS database and the guarantee of data security are all pre-requirements of the EP consultation, that precedes the Council decision about the abolition of border controls on internal borders.
The EP voted on the subject on Wednesday. 487 MEPs supported the implementation of Schengen achievements in Romania and Bulgaria, while 29 MEPs opposed it and 77 abstained. Nevertheless, unanimous support from all Council members is needed for the two countries to adhere to the Schengen Area.
