Accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen Area

29.9.2011

Question for oral answer O-000223/2011
to the Council
Rule 115
Claude Moraes, Ioan Enciu, Iliana Malinova Iotova
on behalf of the S&D Group

Under Article 4(2) of the Treaty of Accession to the European Union, Romania and Bulgaria are committed to becoming members of the Schengen area as soon as the implementation of the rules provided by the Schengen acquis is completed.

Since their accession to the EU, Romania and Bulgaria have been subjected to an evaluation process led by the Schengen Evaluation Working Group (SCH-EVAL) of the Council of the European Union and regarding the implementation of the Schengen acquis in seven areas: police cooperation, personal data protection, visa and consular matters, land, air and maritime borders, and the Schengen Information System (SIS).

Following the positive conclusions of the SCH-EVAL Working Group, the Council decided on 9 June 2011 that Romania and Bulgaria meet all the conditions provided by the Schengen acquis. Parliament also certified, through a resolution adopted on 8 June 2011 by a large majority, that the two States are ready to enter the Schengen area.

In spite of all this, the JHA Council of 22 June 2011 decided to postpone to an unknown date the decision regarding Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen, due to the opposition of two Member States which claim that the two candidate countries need to fulfil additional criteria which are not mentioned in the Schengen acquis.

Tabled: 29.9.2011

Forwarded: 30.9.2011

Deadline for reply: 21.10.2011