Debates

Wednesday, 9 November 2022 - Brussels

18. Full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in Croatia (debate)

  Predsedajúci. – Ďalším bodom programu je správa, ktorú predkladá Paulo Rangel Úplné uplatňovanie ustanovení schengenského acquis v Chorvátsku (10624/2022 – C9-0222/2022 – 2022/0806(NLE)) (A9-0264/2022).

  Paulo Rangel, rapporteur. – Mr President, Vice-Presidents, Schengen has been waiting for Croatia. The Croatian people have also waited and now the moment has arrived. It is time for the final steps towards full European integration. Croatia has shown it is fully prepared for the lifting of internal border controls at the same time that it is joining the eurozone.

Croatia has successfully completed the most comprehensive and detailed evaluation for Schengen membership for any EU country so far. The Commission in 2019 and the Council in 2021 have formally confirmed Croatia’s readiness to become a full member of Schengen following their respective evaluations and naturally the adoption of all required measures.

In addition, Croatia is the only Member State that has so far implemented an independent mechanism for monitoring and controlling the actions of the authorities in the area of irregular migration.

Let me now, only for a few seconds, speak in my native language exactly to give the signal that this is a European achievement.

Senhor Presidente, a Croácia cumpre todos os requisitos. A União tem de cumprir e de honrar a sua palavra. Como é possível que nesta altura, depois de todas as avaliações e exames que foram feitos, depois de todas as medidas que foram adotadas no campo da segurança, mas no campo dos direitos fundamentais também, que haja Estados-Membros que no Conselho ainda hesitem ou estejam relutantes em aceitar a entrada da Croácia no espaço Schengen?

É tempo de dar o passo final já em dezembro. Sem hesitações! A Croácia deve entrar no espaço Schengen em janeiro de 2023, no dia em que passa a integrar a zona euro.

There are no legitimate excuses to delay this decision. Giving Croatians, and also Bulgarians and Romanians, full access to the Schengen Area and to the right of free movement is an imperative. The times we live in demand that we act, demand action. With a war on our borders, we must show our commitment to our value of unity, our European value of solidarity. To others who seek discord and division, we must show our strength and our unity. Croatian Schengen brings us together, makes us stronger, protects our external borders and also respects fundamental rights.

This decision will also have a strong impact and will send a clear signal to the Western Balkan countries about their future European aspirations. As the youngest EU Member State, Croatia should serve as an inspiration for other countries in the region. It shows that it is possible for any aspiring new Member State to be fully integrated into our European family.

And from the Parliament we say, I want to say:

Dobrodošli u schengen.

  Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, I suggest that we keep things simple tonight. Croatia is ready. Croatia is ready to join Schengen. Croatia has done everything that was needed to become part of this great area of freedom, security and justice.

Back in 2019, the Commission concluded that Croatia meets all conditions to apply the Schengen acquis and to enjoy the benefits of the biggest obstacle—free, control—free area, which is Schengen. We also then stressed at the time the importance for Croatia to continue working consistently to implement all ongoing actions, in particular external border-management requirements. To monitor and to verify the implementation of those actions, we organised a targeted verification visit in November 2020, and since then Croatia continued to make tremendous progress and now is ready to join Schengen, as the Council of Ministers recognised last year in December, and as the Civil Liberties Committee of this House voted with an overwhelming majority recently – last month.

What will happen when Croatia joins? And when will that happen? Croatia will join the largest area of borderless travel in the world. The people of Croatia will enjoy to the full the possibility to travel within the Schengen Area with no internal border checks as 420 million Europeans already do. Croatia has delivered on external border management. Croatia has delivered on returns and on visa policy, but also on police cooperation against the trafficking of firearms and by updating information systems. Once Croatia joins, it will have access to the Schengen Information System, allowing information exchange to fight crime, to fight against terrorism, and to monitor migration efficiently.

Croatia has also made a lot of efforts on data protection and fundamental rights. It was the first Member State to set up an independent monitoring mechanism of fundamental rights, something that we proposed to all Member States within our proposal for a new EU package for migration and asylum. And we very much welcome Croatia’s extension of the monitoring mechanism announced last week. And this was not an extension for yet another year, but for automatic renewal every 18 months until the screening regulation is adopted and implemented at the European Union level. And we do welcome the improvements to the mechanism: by taking up all the recommendations of the advisory board, including the possibility of unannounced visits to the green border, this mechanism that Croatia accepted and is now implementing could become a model, an example for all Member States, because we can only protect EU security and the EU border whilst we are able to uphold the EU values that bind us together.

On this difficult journey to Schengen, Croatia did not travel alone. Every step of the way, the Commission and our Member States were there to support. To boost border controls we supported Croatia through the Internal Security Fund and the emergency assistance. After evaluations and on—site visits, based on the Commission proposal the Council issued nearly 300 recommendations, and Croatia has carried out all these recommendations! So let these be the fundamentals of confidence and trust of Member States and of EU citizens – of all of us. A trust in the belief that Croatia is ready, that we can count on our Croatian friends to protect people, to protect the border, and to protect European values.

Honourable Members, together with my colleague, Vice-President Šuica, we call on all of you tomorrow to vote resoundingly in favour of this report, and by your vote to send a strong message to the Council that this is now the time to welcome Croatia to Schengen. This is now the time to enlarge the Schengen Area, and not only to Croatia, but also to Romania and Bulgaria, who have also met the conditions for full Schengen membership already since 2011 and who recently also volunteered: they agreed on a voluntary basis to a new fact—finding mission precisely to reassure Member States that both countries, Romania and Bulgaria, are still applying the Schengen acquis. And they passed this self—chosen test with flying colours.

Honourable Members, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria have taken massive strides and they have won our trust, and the Schengen they will join will be a stronger Schengen compared to 2011, when this process started. A Schengen that was able to survive big, huge existential threats: the refugee crisis; terrorist attacks; the COVID pandemic. A Schengen that remains the jewel in Europe’s crown. A stronger Schengen also due to the new rules for governance which have been included in the new Schengen border codes – one will be in place soon, we hope. And thanks also to the best border—management technology – the best in the world – that we are now implementing.

All but one of the Member States are entitled to join the Schengen Area once they fulfil the conditions. It is their right. It is their right to be members of this Schengen borderless area. And the longer we delay, the more we risk distancing not governments, but citizens from the European project. Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria have done what it takes. The European Union must now also do what it takes and simply say just one word: welcome.

  Karlo Ressler, u ime kluba PPE. – Poštovani predsjedavajući, za nas hrvatske zastupnike ovdje u Europskom parlamentu, ovo je vjerojatno najvažnija odluka u ovom mandatu. Tri desetljeća od teško izborene neovisnosti, na pragu desete obljetnice našega članstva u Europskoj uniji.

Ulaskom u Schengen, ali i uvođenjem eura kao službene valute u Hrvatskoj, zaokružujemo hrvatski povratak Europi i na neki način postajemo članica najelitnijeg civilizacijskog kluba. Kao jedna od samo petnaest zemalja koje su istodobno članica Europske unije, NATO-a, eurozone i Schengena. U vrijeme rata na europskom kontinentu, to nam, uz ravnopravnost, uz slobodu kretanja i jednu veliku razvojnu priliku, donosi i dodatnu sigurnost. I na to, kao nacija, možemo biti ponosni. Hrvatska je dokazala da može štititi svoje granice, europske granice, u skladu s najvišim europskim standardima.

Zato je bitno da ovo izvješće ne ostavlja nikakva otvorena pitanja o tome da je Hrvatska spremna. I sada je na Vijeću da finalizira ovu odluku. Zahvaljujem Paulu, zahvaljujem svim kolegama koji su bili uključeni, zahvaljujem Komisiji na svemu što je napravljeno i ovdje u Bruxellesu, ali i osobito hrvatskoj policiji i hrvatskoj Vladi koja je najzaslužnija za ovaj uspjeh.

  Matjaž Nemec, v imenu skupine S&D. – Gospod predsednik, spoštovani! V skupini socialistov in demokratov podpiramo vstop Hrvaške v schengen. Schengen je eden izmed ključnih dosežkov Unije in eden od najbolj resničnih prednosti za državljane. Schengen je predvsem za ljudi.

Hrvaška je svojo domačo nalogo opravila in si vstop v schengen tudi zasluži. Tako kot vsaka država, ko izpolni pogoje. A Hrvaška se mora soočiti tudi s črnim madežem glede spoštovanja človekovih pravic na svoji južni meji, ker vstop v schengen države ne odvezuje od spoštovanja zavez in dogovorjenih pravil. Nasprotno, Hrvaška bo morala z dejanji vsak dan dokazati in pokazati, da spoštuje mednarodno pravo in evropsko pravo. Tako kot vsem državam, pa ji bomo seveda v parlamentu gledali pod prste.

Spoštovani, na vrsti so sedaj ministri, zato naš odločen poziv Svetu, da čim prej sprejme odločitev in poleg Hrvaški tudi drugim državam, kot je bilo rečeno s strani komisarja, v čakalnici odpre vrata v schengen. Torej welcome Croatia, dobrodošla Hrvatska!

  Jan-Christoph Oetjen, im Namen der Renew-Fraktion. – Herr Präsident, Herr Vizepräsident der Kommission, verehrte Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Kroatien hat sich echt angestrengt und hat es geschafft, innerhalb sehr kurzer Zeit die Kriterien zu erfüllen, die einen Beitritt zum Schengen-Raum ermöglichen. Und ich bin sehr, sehr froh, dass wir diese Entscheidung heute treffen können, dass die vier Millionen Kroaten Teil des Schengen-Raums werden können und dass Kroatien Teil des Schengen-Raums wird. Das heißt nämlich nicht nur, dass vier Millionen Kroaten in den Schengen-Raum reisen können, sondern das heißt auch, dass die Europäer visafrei nach Kroatien reisen können. Und wer die Staus an der Grenze kennt im Sommer, der freut sich darüber, dass das jetzt nach Kroatien einfacher möglich ist.

Und dieser Schritt, mit dem 1. Januar 2023 nicht nur die Schengenfreiheit zu haben, sondern gleichzeitig auch den Euro zu bekommen, ist für Kroatien wirklich eine große Entscheidung, ist für Europa auch eine große Entscheidung und ein wichtiger, ein großer Erfolg.

Die Freizügigkeit ist das größte Gut, das wir innerhalb der Europäischen Union haben. Und deswegen ist es so wichtig, dass wir die Regeln, die wir in Europa haben, an der Stelle auch einhalten. Und zu diesen Regeln gehört eben auch, dass die Grundrechte in der Europäischen Union eingehalten werden. Und das, was wir manchmal ja an Kroatien kritisiert haben – nämlich dass es Grundrechtsverletzungen gegenüber Migranten an der Grenze gegeben hat –, das können wir im Schengen-Raum noch besser kontrollieren an dieser Stelle.

Und deswegen ist es gut, dass Kroatien Mitglied wird, und der nächste Schritt ist dann, dass Rumänien und Bulgarien auch Mitglieder des Schengen-Raums werden, denn die erfüllen die Kriterien ebenso.

  Erik Marquardt, im Namen der Verts/ALE-Fraktion. – Herr Präsident! Lassen Sie mich deutlich sagen: Ich glaube, das ist für unser Haus – das Europäische Parlament –, für Kroatien, aber auch für die Europäische Union insgesamt eine tolle Entscheidung, die wir treffen – eine tolle Entscheidung, dass wir den Weg freimachen, dass Kroatien Mitglied des Schengen-Raums werden kann. Es ist so, dass dadurch die europäische Familie stärker zusammenwächst. Es ist so, dass für viele Millionen Menschen in Europa mehr Freiheiten existieren. Darüber muss man gar nicht viele schlimme Worte verlieren, denn es ist einfach eine gute Entscheidung.

Es ist auf der anderen Seite aber eben auch so, dass der Raum der Sicherheit, der Raum der Freiheit und der Raum des Rechts, den der Schengen-Raum ja darstellt, eben ein Raum ist, in dem wir auch darauf achten müssen, dass das Recht gilt – das Recht auch an den Außengrenzen für die Menschen, die auf der Flucht sind, die rechtsstaatliche Verfahren verdient haben, die verdient haben, dass es Ordnung an den Grenzen gibt.

Deswegen freue ich mich auch, dass wir in unserem Bericht an den Rat auch noch einmal darstellen, dass es diesen unabhängigen Menschenrechtsmonitoring-Mechanismus geben muss. Der kann Beispiel für viele Länder sein. Es kann auch sein, dass wir es – durch diese Berichterstattung von Kroatien an die Kommission und auch ans Europäische Parlament – schaffen, dass wir mehr Licht ins Dunkel bringen und endlich die Pushbacks an den Außengrenzen beenden.

Deswegen freue ich mich, Kroatien schnellstmöglich willkommen zu heißen im Raum der Freiheit, der Sicherheit und im Raum des Rechts, auch des Rechts für die Menschen an unseren Außengrenzen, die dort fliehen.

  Željana Zovko (PPE). – Poštovani predsjedavajući, poštovana potpredsjednice Komisije, poštovani povjereniče Schinas, poštovana veleposlanice Andrassy, prije svega želim da čestitam ovdje i svojim kolegama i svima onima koji su ovdje skupa s nama da slavimo ulazak Hrvatske u schengensku zonu.

Najzaslužniji za večerašnje slavlje je ovdje i naš izvjestitelj gospodin Rangel, ja čestitam za svu predanost koju je učinio da naglasi značaj i sve ono što je hrvatska policija, hrvatska Vlada u proteklom periodu učinila još jednom da pokaže da je Hrvatska najbolji učenik od svih zemalja, koji su se trudili, i nakon jednog teškog i mukotrpnog napora postigli, da dobiju ovako zadovoljavajuću ocjenu za ulazak u schengen.

Hrvatska je zemlja koja je bez ičije pomoći obranila svoj teritorij, Hrvatska je zemlja koja pomaže zapadnom Balkanu, Hrvatska je zemlja koja vuče Bosnu i Hercegovinu naprijed i Hrvatska je zemlja koja će opravdati sva vaša očekivanja i ja zahvaljujem svim kolegama, od lijevog do desnog spektra ove kuće koju ću sutra podržati masovno i pokazati da Hrvatska treba da slavi u prosincu ulazak u eurozonu i ulazak u schengenski prostor. Još jednom čestitam i zahvaljujem i sretno.

  Biljana Borzan (S&D). – Poštovani predsjedavajući, teško je razumjeti ili prenijeti nekome tko nije morao čekati u redovima na granicama za sigurnosni pregled ili pregled putovnica, da zapravo postoje dvije kategorije europskih građana.

Oni čije su države u Schengenu i oni čije nisu. Isto tako, teško je objasniti građanima Hrvatske da nemaju ista prava, premda smo ispunili sve uvjete koji su potrebni. Glasovanjem o ovom izvještaju, odnosno davanjem podrške ulasku Hrvatske u Schengen, profitirat će prvenstveno građani Hrvatske i proeuropska većina, ali i ona euroskeptična manjina koja će izgubiti jedan argument.

Želim zahvaliti svima koji su dali svoj doprinos, a ponajprije hrvatskim kolegama koji su se angažirali unutar svojih političkih klubova, jer radi se o nacionalnom interesu i zaista velikoj stvari za hrvatske građane.

  Valter Flego (Renew). – Poštovani predsjedavajući, poštovane dame i gospodo, pa ja nikada nisam bio sretniji ponosniji za ovom govornicom i teško da ću ikada i biti. Sretan i ponosan što je moja Hrvatska pred vratima Schengena, a što će moja Istra, naravno, od 1. 1. 2023. biti prava europska regija bez granica.

Naime, jasno je da konačno postajemo dio najrazvijenijeg, najelitnijeg kluba. I to apsolutno zasluženo za sve hrvatske građane, za hrvatsko gospodarstvo. I konačno, smanjuju se čekanja na granicama naših prijevoznika, radnika, turista, prijevoznika i tako dalje. Smanjuju se, ustvari, gubici koji se tim čekanjima generiraju. Poštovani, sutra je itekako veliki dan za Hrvatsku, ali i za jednu jaku, snažnu, jedinstvenu Europu. Zato glasajte ispravno, za Hrvatsku, za Schengen, za Europu, za Europu bez granica.

I hvala svima koji su nam pomogli na tom putu, a siguran sam kako će budućnost potvrditi da su bili na ispravnoj strani svi oni koji će sutra glasati za.

  Sunčana Glavak (PPE). – Poštovani predsjedavajući i poštovana potpredsjednice, poštovani povjereniče i poštovana veleposlanice, kolegice i kolege, dozvolite da najprije zahvalim kolegi Rangelu: hvala lijepo na punoj potpori na putu koji će sutra označiti tako dobar dan za moju Hrvatsku.

Ovo će biti i emotivan dan za sve nas zastupnike koji predstavljamo Republiku Hrvatsku u Europskom parlamentu. 400 milijuna ljudi, jedna granica. I mi ćemo biti dio toga. U desetoj godini članstva Hrvatske u Europskoj uniji ispunjavamo posljednja dva cilja, a to je ulazak u europodručje i ulazak u Schengen. Veliku zahvalnost, naravno, dugujemo i našoj Vladi. Bez političke volje i predsjednika Andreja Plenkovića, to se sigurno ne bi ostvarilo, i ovako opsežan proces evaluacije.

Kolegice i kolege, nemojte imati sumnje u Hrvatsku. Mnogo smo puta o tome govorili. Hrvatska je uvela i nešto novo: neovisni mehanizam kontrole. I ja vjerujem da će se to primijeniti i na ostale zemlje članice. Hrvatska tako postaje integrirana u povijesni, civilizacijski i kulturološki prostor Europske unije. Hvala vam lijepa na potpori, od srca.

  Tomislav Sokol (PPE). – Poštovani predsjedavajući, nepunih deset godina nakon ulaska u Europsku uniju, Hrvatska je na pragu pune europske integracije. Ulazak u schengenski prostor za Hrvatsku i njezine državljane predstavlja ostvarenje strateškog interesa punopravne pripadnosti Europi i Zapadu.

Višegodišnji napori koje je hrvatska vlada uložila rezultirali su ispunjenjem tehničkih kriterija za ulazak u schengenski prostor, što je lani utvrdilo i Vijeće. Time je potvrđeno da Hrvatska na najbolji mogući način štiti najdulju vanjsku granicu Unije od ilegalnih migracija sukladno europskom i međunarodnom pravu. Oni koji tvrde suprotno samo obmanjuju javnost zbog vlastitih sitnih politikanskih interesa.

Važno je da Europski parlament velikom većinom podrži ulazak Hrvatske u Schengen. I zato zahvaljujem izvjestitelju na golemom naporu koji je uložio da bi se upravo to i dogodilo. Zaključno, ističem da je priključenje schengenskom prostoru u interesu kako same Hrvatske tako i cijele Europske unije.

  Vladimír Bilčík (PPE). – Mr President, dear Vice-Presidents of the Commission, dear colleagues, I’m very happy to welcome another Member State to the Schengen zone. I wholeheartedly support Croatia’s Schengen accession.

By widening the space for our principles and rules, we all become safer and stronger. As we fully support Croatia’s place inside the Schengen zone, we also stand behind the Schengen accessions for Romania and Bulgaria. Citizens of all countries that have fulfilled the criteria should enjoy the benefits of Schengen.

Schengen is Europe. If we weaken Schengen, we weaken Europe. It is as simple as that. Free movement of people is the cornerstone of our values and we must stand up for it as Schengen is facing internal threats through temporary border checks and huge external pressures.

We must invest together in a better protection of the Schengen external border, support Frontex and insist that our accession partners in the Western Balkans work with us by harmonising their respective visa policies.

I am very pleased, dear colleagues, that all European citizens in Croatia will soon be able to enjoy the full benefits of the free movement of people. Let us together make the Schengen enlargement a truly lasting achievement.

Postup prihlásenia sa o slovo zdvihnutím ruky

  Stanislav Polčák (PPE). – Pane předsedající, já jsem přesvědčen, že Chorvatsko samozřejmě patří do Schengenu a je trochu s podivem, že pokud splnilo podmínky přistoupení do schengenského acquis již v roce 2019, tak by se dalo říci, že již máme tři roky zpoždění. Takže jsem velmi rád, že nás toto rozhodnutí posiluje, že jsme více jednotní, že nás také více přibližuje a dělá z nás skutečnou rodinu bezpečnosti, práva a svobody. To je nepochybné. Chtěl bych také zdůraznit, že zde máme určité dluhy nejen vůči Chorvatsku, ale samozřejmě vůči Rumunsku, Bulharsku. Na ně bychom také neměli zapomenout. Jsem rád, že dojde k posílení vízové politiky, návratové politiky, policejní spolupráce a výměny informací. A jsem samozřejmě také rád, že příští léto již nezažiji s mojí rodinou ty šílené fronty na chorvatských hranicích. Myslím si, že jsme si je mohli odpustit už možná několik let dozadu.

  Tonino Picula (S&D). –Poštovani predsjedavajući, poštovani gospodine povjereniče, kolegice i kolege, Republika Hrvatska potpuno zaslužuje ulazak u Schengen jer je ispunila sve zadane uvjete, i tehničke i političke. Hrvatska ima najdužu vanjsku kopnenu granicu Europske unije i želi doprinijeti većoj sigurnosti na njoj, a Europska unija ovim dokazuje funkcionalnost i privlačnost svog modela.

Govoreći o budućnosti Schengena, trebamo ga ojačati kao jedno od najvećih europskih postignuća, a novo širenje jedan je od najboljih načina, osobito u ovom kritičnom vremenu kada se vodi rat na europskom tlu i kada jedna kriza zamjenjuje drugu, ali važno je nastaviti s provedbom schengenske stečevine. To jača povjerenje među članicama schengenskog prostora.

Jednako tako treba imati povjerenja i prema zemljama koje već dugo rade na ispunjavanju schengenskih kriterija. Radujem se što ćemo nadograditi naše članstvo u Europskoj uniji. Tako stječemo ista prava slobodnog kretanja za hrvatske građane i građanke koja već uživa 420 milijuna ljudi u 26 država. To je ravnopravna Europa za koju se zalažemo.

(Ukončenie postupu prihlásenia sa o slovo zdvihnutím ruky)

  Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the Commission. – Thank you, President, honourable Members, let me end this debate as I started it. Croatia is ready for Schengen, as Bulgaria and Romania are, and we at the Commission will do everything we can to make sure that all three Member States can join at once.

Let me reiterate the importance of the Croatian commitment to set up and implement loyally an independent monitoring mechanism. This mechanism is the first of its kind and Croatia is the first Member State to put it in place, even before we have an agreement on the Pact for Migration and Asylum, which I hope would be sooner rather than later, because the pact requires all Member States to set up a monitoring mechanism to uphold fundamental rights, as demanded by our screening proposal regulation.

So Croatia is doing this before we have to do it collectively as part of European legislation. And last week the Croatian Government also signed the extension of this mechanism, not a year-by-year, but an 18-month extension automatically renewable until we have this agreement on the pact. These are major – I repeat – major steps taken in this context.

Also, all recommendations of the Mechanism Advisory Board that is monitoring the implementation of the mechanism have been followed, including – and that’s also a first – the possibility of unannounced visits at the green border.

Let me finish with a final comment that goes beyond Croatia. In these difficult, dark times, in which many of our enemies underestimate the added value of the European Union, many attack the European project, many try to discredit our successes, Croatia’s accession to Schengen and tomorrow in the Euro simply shows that the prophets of doom, the Cassandras, les déclinologues, will once again be proven wrong. We are strong. We are many. We are united. And we are stronger and able to stand up against our enemies together. That’s also a message of this vote you will be having tomorrow.

  Paulo Rangel, rapporteur. – Mr President, dear Vice-Presidents, I’d like only to make two or three comments or remarks on issues that were raised during this debate.

First, to say that all of us, we all agree that Schengen has two main purposes. One is to defend our external borders – security, safety. The other is to respect all the fundamental rights of European citizens and of the citizens that are non-European and that want to come to Europe. And there’s something that is clear that applies to Croatia, but also to Romania and Bulgaria. If we want to monitor, to check, to be sure, that these two dimensions are fully implemented, bringing more security to our borders, but respecting our heritage of fundamental rights, this is much easier to do if these Member States are inside Schengen than if they are outside.

And so, there is no ground and there is no reason to postpone, to delay this accession. And if some Member States are thinking that they can do that, they are doing it not for the common good of the European Union, but for only internal political reasons and we cannot accept that in these exceptional times.

We need to have full freedom of movement within our territory and we have to have secure borders in the places where we have full European citizens. And so I say that I trust that at the very end, all the 27 Member States will approve this accession of Croatia and also, naturally, of Romania and Bulgaria.

  Predsedajúci. – Rozprava sa týmto skončila. Hlasovanie sa uskutoční zajtra.

Písomné vyhlásenia (článok 171)

  Dominique Bilde (ID), par écrit. – L’accession de la Croatie à l’espace Schengen pose avec acuité la question du contrôle des frontières extérieures de l’Union européenne. En effet, le pays se trouvera alors chargé de cette périlleuse mission. Et ce, alors même que la crise migratoire sur la «route des Balkans» fait à nouveau rage, avec une augmentation de 205 % des passages illégaux, en un an seulement.

Les récriminations, dont le rapport se fait l’écho, se suivent et se ressemblent. On déplore les «refoulements» de migrants, au lieu de remettre en cause un modèle insensé. Signe des temps, la Slovénie envisagerait des contrôles frontaliers à l’issue de l’intégration de la Croatie au sein de l’espace Schengen. Une décision qui rappelle celle prise par l’Autriche à la frontière slovène, en 2015.

Bref, il est urgent de reconnaître que Schengen est un dispositif dépassé, à l’heure où la vague migratoire repart de plus belle. Il faut souligner également la fuite des cerveaux et l’émigration dramatiques, qui ont affecté la Croatie depuis son accession à l’Union européenne. Il est dans l’intérêt de tous de ne pas contribuer à la perte par un État membre de ses forces vives.

  Joachim Stanisław Brudziński (ECR), na piśmie. – Chorwacja to kraj, który jak najbardziej zasługuje na to, by w pełni korzystać z tego, co daje przynależność do krajów strefy Schengen. W moim głębokim odczuciu kraj ten powinien móc korzystać ze swobodnego przepływu obywateli z krajów członkowskich, który pozytywnie wpływa na szybkie i bezproblemowe podróżowanie, a przez to na rozwój turystyki, w tym turystyki biznesowej. Jak wiemy, swobodny przepływ osób wpływa także na swobodny przepływ towarów, co jest bardzo istotne, szczególnie w aktualnej sytuacji ekonomicznej.

Jestem przekonany, iż wątpliwości Komisji Europejskiej dotyczące rzekomych przykładów łamania praw migrantów przez Chorwację zostaną szybko wyjaśnione. Komisja zdecydowanie i ze spokojem powinna ustosunkować się do zarzutów Lewicy wzywających do poniesienia przez Chorwację konsekwencji i zaniechać wzmocnienia mechanizmów monitorujących. Łatwo jest oskarżać i zarzucać nadużycia, przemoc czy nielegalne zawracanie migrantów przez chorwackich funkcjonariuszy granicznych. Musimy jednak pamiętać, iż specyfika ochrony zewnętrznych granic Unii Europejskiej jest zdecydowanie bardziej złożona i trudna, niż lewicowi aktywiści mogą sobie wyobrazić, szczególnie podczas trwającej otwartej agresji Rosji wobec Ukrainy. Dlatego jako sprawozdawca-cień z ramienia grupy ECR i współautor tego sprawozdania uważam, iż Parlament Europejski powinien poprzeć jego tekst, zaś Chorwacja powinna jak najszybciej cieszyć się z korzyści wynikających z przynależności do strefy Schengen.