“The time has come to allow Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia to become full Schengen members, as is their right.” This is how Vice President Margaritis Schinas sums up the demand of the European Commission.

The European Commission is calling for the countries of Romania, Croatia and Bulgaria to be included in the Schengen area. Their reasoning: the three countries already meet all the requirements and have in the past contributed to the functioning of the Schengen area in the past, according to the Commission in its press release of 16 November.

Advantages of an enlarged Schengen area:

– More security by better police cooperation at the external borders.

– More prosperity by saving time at the borders and opportunities for more attractive trade relations.

– More attractiveness through an easier travelling without controls at the internal borders.

Current status

The full participation of Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia into the Schengen area has occupied the European Council for some time. In the case of Romania and Bulgaria, the successfully completed Schengen evaluation process is eleven years ago. Internal border controls have not been lifted since then. Croatia has already completed the evaluation process and received confirmation from the Council at the end of 2021.

On December 8, the Justice and Home Affairs Council will vote on the entry of the three countries into the Schengen area without internal border controls.

Source: European Commission