EC reiterates its support for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen

The European Commission is working closely with the Swedish and the upcoming Spanish presidencies to bring Bulgaria and Romania into Schengen as soon as possible this year. This is according to a report on the state of the Schengen area presented by the European Commission today, May 16. According to the Commission, Romania and Bulgaria have always been key players in the continuous development of the Schengen acquis and it is therefore high time for the EU to deliver on its commitment to grant both Member States full Schengen membership.

The Commission reiterates that both countries are technically ready to join the Schengen area. The report recalls the results of the voluntary missions carried out in Bulgaria and Romania in October-November 2022, which confirmed that both countries continue to meet the necessary conditions for the implementation of Schengen legislation and apply the latest acquis of the free movement area.

The EC report also says that waiting at borders leads to long queues of vehicles and trucks, increased costs, reduced competitiveness for businesses, disruption of supply chains and reduced revenues for the tourism sector. The uncertainty associated with border delays and administrative burdens can discourage foreign investment and undermine economic and social cohesion between Member States, EC experts say. There are also environmental analyses which show that 46 000 tonnes of CO₂ are emitted annually due to the non-removal of internal border controls, they said.