The European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) adopted by 45 votes to 8 with 5 abstentions on Tuesday 25 October the enlargement of the Schengen free movement area to include Croatia, approving the report by Portuguese MEP Paulo Rangel (EPP).
In December 2021, the EU Council confirmed that Croatia had fulfilled all the necessary conditions for the full application of the Schengen rules. MEPs therefore urge the Council to continue the process and adopt a final decision to lift border controls. The Parliament will have to approve this opinion in plenary.
On Tuesday, LIBE MEPs nevertheless demanded that Croatia, which has been accused by NGOs of turning back migrants at its external borders, inform the Parliament and Member States of the action plan on the subject, which it has launched under the Commission’s supervision, notably the independent mechanism for monitoring the actions of police officers.
MEPs also want the Commission to include in its Schengen evaluation programme evaluations of external border management, including fundamental rights aspects.
The Czech Presidency plans to propose to the EU Council, by the end of the year, a positive decision to bring Croatia, but also Romania and Bulgaria, into the Schengen area.
New informal green light for Romania and Bulgaria
The latter two countries have been the subject of a voluntary field mission in recent days. In a note dated 21 October, the Commission concludes that both countries continue to meet the requirements for entry into Schengen according to the assessment made by the Commission and a dozen member countries.
“The team on the ground did not find any problems with the application of the latest developments of the Schengen acquis. This conclusion applies to both Bulgaria and Romania, for the key elements of the Schengen acquis, namely external border management, police cooperation, return, the Schengen Information System and visas as well as the respect of fundamental rights and the functioning of the authorities applying the relevant parts of the Schengen acquis”.
The team on site therefore “considers that Bulgaria and Romania continue to fulfil the necessary conditions to fully apply all relevant parts of the Schengen acquis”.
The Netherlands, traditionally reluctant to enlarge Schengen, did not take part in the mission.
Link to the note: https://aeur.eu/f/3sa
Link to LIBE report: https://aeur.eu/f/3sb (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)