Romanian accession to the Schengen area

Subject: Romanian accession to the Schengen area

The Schengen area is an expression of the fundamental values underlying the construction of Europe and membership thereof is a right and an obligation under the EU Accession Treaty. Romania's fulfilment of all the criteria laid down in the Schengen acquis was recognised on 9 June 2011 by the Justice and Home Affairs Council and, over the last ten years, the European Parliament has adopted a number of reports calling for it to join. However, 15 years after joining the EU, Romania continues to be treated as a second-class state.

1. When is Romania expected to be able to join the Schengen area?

2. Given the importance of abolishing EU internal border controls as part of the European integration process, what obstacles remain in the path of Romanian accession to the Schengen area 15 years after joining the EU? Can Council explain why more progress has been made in this direction with Croatia, the newest EU Member State?

3. What political and and administrative measures remain to taken by the Council, Commission and Romania to this end? Has a timetable been drawn up for this purpose?

Reply

(27 June 2022)

Romania has been bound by the Schengen acquis since the date of its accession and has applied parts of the Schengen acquis since that date.

The remaining parts, linked to the lifting of controls at EU internal borders, can be applied in Romania pursuant to a unanimous Council Decision to that effect, to be adopted in accordance with Article 4(2) of the 2005 Act of Accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU, after verification that the necessary conditions for the application of all parts of the acquis concerned have been met in that State.

On 9 June 2011, the Council concluded, in accordance with the applicable Schengen evaluation procedures, that the conditions in all areas of the Schengen acquis had been fulfilled by Romania.

Since 2011, further steps have been taken in relation to the application of parts of the Schengen acquis in Romania and specific Council Decisions have been adopted to that effect (1). However, to date, none of the proposals for a Council Decision on the full application of the Schengen acquis to Bulgaria and Romania discussed in the Council has received the required unanimous support. Therefore, they were not put to a vote.

With regard to Croatia, its evaluation process was closed by the Commission in March 2021. On 9 December 2021, the Council approved conclusions on the fulfilment of the necessary conditions for the full application of the Schengen acquis in Croatia.

So far, no draft Council Decision in accordance with Article 4(2) of the 2011 Act of Accession on the lifting of controls at EU internal borders has been presented in the Council as regards Croatia.

⋅1∙ Decision (EU) 2017/1908 of 12 October 2017, OJ L 269, 19.10.2017, p. 39; Decision (EU) 2018/934 OJ L 165, 2.07.2018, p. 37. | | ( | | )