Spanish Interior Minister Expresses Commitment to Unlock Romania and Bulgaria’s Schengen Integration

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska expressed on Thursday, at the meeting with his Austrian counterpart Gerhard Karner – an opponent of Romania’s admission to Schengen – his “firm commitment” to unlock the full integration of Romania and Bulgaria in the Schengen Area and asked him for the government’s support Austrian in this regard, reports News.ro. The meeting took place in the context in which, at the end of March, Grande-Marlaska met with Minister Lucian Bode, who conveyed to him that Romania is fully prepared for accession, expressing the readiness of the Bucharest authorities to act for “the resolution of this file as soon as possible during this year”.

According to a press release sent by the Spanish Government on Thursday, the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, met in Vienna with the Austrian Minister of the Interior, Gerhard Karner, during which they discussed the priorities of the future Spanish presidency of the Council of the European Union, from the second part of this year.

“Among the issues discussed at the meeting, the two ministers addressed the inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria in the Schengen area, an issue that the Spanish presidency wants to complete during the second semester,” the statement reads.

According to the same source, Grande-Marlaska expressed “firm commitment” to unlock the full integration of both countries and asked his counterpart for the support of the Austrian government.

“Spain is a defender of promoting cooperative measures instead of fragmenting ones,” Grande-Marlaska added, recalling that both Spain and Austria share their status as “destination and transit points for illegal migrants and asylum seekers.”

“An objective of major importance to be fulfilled as soon as possible”

On March 30, after the meeting in Bucharest with Fernando Grande Marlaska Gómez, Interior Minister Lucian Bode wrote that “Spain has a complex task ahead, as the future presidency of the Council of the European Union, starting in June, and Romania has an objective of major importance to be fulfilled as soon as possible – the acquisition of Schengen member state status”.

“Regarding this subject, I emphasized during the discussions that Romania is fully prepared to join the Schengen area and I conveyed to my counterpart Romania’s willingness to work constructively, in the spirit of European values, for the resolution of this file as soon as possible possible during this year,” Bode said.

We remind you that Romania, which has been waiting to enter Schengen for more than 11 years, missed joining the European free movement area last year, although it had the support of 26 EU member states.

The Justice and Home Affairs Council (JAI) of the European Union rejected on December 8, 2022 the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into Schengen and only accepted Croatia’s request. Austria managed to block the decision favorable to our country in the JAI Council, as unanimity is required for Schengen accession. The Netherlands joined it, under the conditions in which it opposes the accession of Bulgaria, and the vote was given “together with Romania”.