European Commission calls for Romania and Bulgaria into Schengen area

The European Commission invites the Council of the European Union to take the decision to fully integrate Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen area, so that this internal border-free zone is consolidated and Member States can confront threats in a united way.

Commission states that Romania and Bulgaria have demonstrated their capacity to defend the EU's external borders and should therefore become members of the Schengen area, the EU Executive states in a press release.

The initiative is part of a series of European Commission proposals for maintaining and consolidating the Schengen Area, including the updating of the Schengen Borders Code and stricter procedural safeguards, as well as a recommendation to Member States on a better application of the existing Schengen rules, and the reminder that the introduction of temporary internal border controls must remain an exceptional measure of last resort and alternative measures, such as police checks and cross-border cooperation, should be prioritized.

Source:RRA.Translated by Miruna Matei