Welcoming Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania will strengthen the Schengen Area. The European Commission’s decision on their Schengen accession – announced by progressive European Commissioner Ylva Johansson – is a strong positive step for the European project, the Party of European Socialists said after the Commission’s announcement.
Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania fulfil all the necessary criteria to join the Schengen Area and Europe’s socialist family wants to see their accession achieved without further delay.
PES President, Stefan Löfven, said:
“At the PES Congress in Berlin, the social democratic family stressed the need to protect and promote the Schengen Agreement – one of the European Union’s greatest achievements.
“Our Congress resolution reaffirmed our commitment to see that Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia join Schengen. European Commission’s decision in support of this idea is a step in the right direction and a step that reinforces Schengen and the European Union.
“It is now time for the EU Member States to commit themselves to making the Schengen area stronger and to accept Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia as members of the Schengen area. Socialists and Democrats will continue to support that process.”
The Schengen area allows 26 European countries, including 22 EU Member States, to move freely within the area and to harmonise traveller controls within the area formed by these states. For years, progressives have been leading the debate to extend Schengen to other countries that met the requirements, in particular Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, as they have met all the necessary criteria.
This point was further emphasised at the PES Congress in Berlin in October 2022 during the debates and in the resolution which states: “At the same time, we want to protect and promote the Schengen Agreement which one of the greatest achievements of the European Union, and see Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia join it without further delay.”
On 8 December 2022, the Justice and Home Affairs Council will vote on the full participation of Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia in the Schengen area without internal border controls.
