On Tuesday 27 June, the European Parliament’s Committee on Petitions (PETI) adopted a resolution calling on the Member States to integrate Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area of free movement by the end of 2023.
The resolution, tabled by Dolors Montserrat (EPP, Spanish), was adopted with 25 votes in favour, none against and no abstentions. The MEPs insist that the two countries continue to meet all the criteria for membership of the Schengen area, and point out that the rejection of their application last December “created anti-European sentiment and harmed the economy and the climate”, says a press release.
“An enlarged Schengen area without border controls would make the EU stronger”, say the MEPs. And the fact that Romania and Bulgaria “are still outside the visa-free travel area represents an important societal and economic burden for the businesses and population of the two countries”.
In addition to the damage caused to the single market “by impeding the free movement of goods between Member States”, the elected representatives point to “irreparable damage to the environment, which is not in line with the Union’s climate neutrality objectives”, with thousands of vehicles having to wait at the border every day, which is responsible for around 46,000 tonnes of CO2 every year.
Link to the text: https://aeur.eu/f/7r8 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)