Austrian European Affairs Minister Karoline Edtstadler said Austria’s approval of Romania and Bulgaria’s Schengen membership was conditional on progress made in EU migration policy, according to Public Radio ORF. Austria has vetoed the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into Schengen.
“The extension of the Schengen area is something that we, of course, want to discuss further in coordination with our partners, Bulgaria and Romania, so that we can put it back on the agenda after the appropriate measures on migration have been taken and asylum policy,” he said.
Edtstadler recalled that Sweden will assume the presidency of the Council of the European Union in January. Sweden is a country “that has been tried and tested when it comes to migration. I expect this topic to be an important item on the agenda.”
The decision on Schengen will not be delayed until the whole asylum package is decided at EU level through several legal acts, as this will take some time. “But we have to take these steps and establish a plan. So we can very well talk about expanding Schengen to include Bulgaria and Romania,” Edtstadler said.
“We need the possibility of seeking asylum in safe third countries”, asked the minister for Europe. “Furthermore, pilot projects are needed for the rapid handling of asylum procedures at the external borders of the EU and, of course, financial support for countries geographically located at the external borders.”
