The road ahead for Croatia’s entry into the border-free Schengen area is clear. This was agreed by the responsible ministers of the 26 Schengen countries during a meeting in Brussels on Thursday. At the beginning of next year, checks at the land borders of the popular holiday destination will be abolished. Meanwhile, Austria blocks the Schengen admission of Bulgaria and Romania.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) voted against the accession of the two Eastern European countries. He justified this in advance with the high number of asylum applications in Austria and called for further action by the EU Commission. Bulgaria and Romania reacted angrily.
Bulgaria and Romania: postpone voting?
“Today I am voting against the extension of Schengen to Romania and Bulgaria,” Karner stressed in the run-up to the meeting on Thursday. “It is wrong that a system that does not work in many places is expanded here.” There were more than 100,000 illegal border crossings into Austria this year, of which 75,000 went unregistered, the interior minister said. Karner spoke out in favor of postponing the vote on the accession of Bulgaria and Romania: “Now is not the right time to take this step.”
Romanian problems about Austria
Austria is largely alone in the EU with its right of veto. Only with regard to Bulgaria has the Netherlands also expressed its concerns, but recently gave the green light for Romania and Croatia. Romanian Interior Minister Lucian Bode was angry with Austria on Thursday. “Romania demands only one thing: respect,” he said, again speaking out against delaying the decision. “Romania’s arguments are well known and supported by the Czech Presidency, the European Commission and most Member States, with the exception of Austria.”
Czech Interior Minister and current EU Council President Vit Rakusa was confident that “we will have the decision for Romania and Bulgaria today”. It won’t be easy, he expects a long debate. “We will point out that the countries have really done everything the EU asked of them.” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, on the other hand, showed “understanding for the major debates in Austria.”
Unanimous approval required
The existing Schengen members must unanimously agree to the admission of another country. This means that Romania and Bulgaria depend on Austria’s vote to join the Schengen area. In addition to 22 EU member states, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein also belong to the Schengen area. Normally there are no stationary border controls in this area. Particularly after the migration crisis in 2015, this principle was suspended by a number of countries, including Austria.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
