Brussels, 05/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - On 12-13 October in Brussels, MEPs will request the records from the Council on the report made on 22 September by EU ministers for home affairs on Bulgaria and Romania's accession to the free movement area of Schengen. Several political groups will submit an oral question to the Council and a draft resolution will be submitted for a vote at the plenary session.
During the most recent Council of ministers for home affairs, the Netherlands and Finland expressed opposition to this accession, which the Polish Presidency was attempting to obtain in two different phases (the first phase would be at the end of October for maritime and air borders and the second phase would be at the end of July 2012 for land borders).
MEPs do not understand this impasse. They will therefore call on the Council during the next plenary session in Brussels to introduce new criteria and attempt to establish the legal basis on which member states supported this decision. They are also expected to underline the achievements made by these two countries to respect the technical criteria of the Schengen acquis, which is required for joining this area. Sofia and Bucharest have met the technical objectives (data protection, Schengen Information System, air borders, land borders, marine borders, police co-operation and visas), as already acknowledged by the Council last June.
In its draft oral question, the EPP Group points out that “the European Parliament resolution of 8 June 2011 and the Council conclusions of 9 June confirm that the two states are ready to join the Schengen area”. In the question it is also pointed out that “during the European Council of 24 June 2011, heads of state and government agreed to take a decision concerning their accession by September 2011 at the latest”. MEPs are therefore expected to ask the Council what measures it intends to introduce to respond to the request for accession by the two countries and will call on the Council to respect its commitments in this connection. The same question will be posed to the European Commission. (SP/transl.fl)