Designated EU Commissioner for Migration from Austria, Magnus Brunner, supports Bulgaria and Romania's full admission to the Schengen area

The designated EU Commissioner for Migration from Austria, Magnus Brunner, supports Bulgaria and Romania's full admission to the Schengen area.

He says this in the preliminary written answers that the commissioner-designates give to the European Parliament before the start of their hearing process. The answers were published by the European Parliament.

If Bulgaria and Romania continue to meet all the conditions to become full members of the Schengen area, it is the responsibility of the EU Council to decide on the abolition of internal land border controls, Brunner says in his answers.

He said Bulgaria and Romania have the right to enjoy all the benefits of the Schengen area and abolishing land border controls would make the Schengen area stronger and safer.

The Austrian candidate promises to continue the policy of the current Commissioner for Migration, Ylva Johansson, and to support both countries if the decision on their full accession is not taken within this mandate.

At the last EU Interior Ministers' meeting in Luxembourg, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner announced that the two countries are on "the right track, but it is not yet done".

The Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union is optimistic that a decision on the full Schengen membership of the two countries could be in place by the end of the year and will put the issue on the agenda of the last meeting of Interior Ministers in December.