Greek initiative for Schengen enlargement with Bulgaria and Romania / Greek official: It will have direct benefits for Greece as it will be unified by land with the rest of the EU member states / We are in contact with the Swedish Presidency and the European Commission

Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum Notis Mitarakis was received in Vienna on Thursday by Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, after meeting yesterday with Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, reports the Greek publication Naftemporiki, quoted by Rador.

According to a press release, Greece is taking an initiative to support Bulgaria and Romania’s application to join the Schengen area. This enlargement will also have direct benefits for Greece, as the country will be unified by land within the Schengen area with the rest of the EU member states. Greece is in contact with the Swedish EU presidency and the European Commission on this initiative.

Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union in 2005 and in 2011 they successfully completed the evaluation procedures for their accession to the Schengen Area, which was confirmed by the Conclusions of the Council of Ministers of Home Affairs of 9 June 2011. Since then, the European Commission has repeatedly expressed the view that both countries are ready to join the Schengen area without internal border controls.

In 2022, at the initiative of Bulgaria and Romania, a new EU mission was carried out on the spot, which confirmed that the two countries continue to effectively meet the strict Schengen standards and have an exemplary track record in applying them.

This topic, as well as Croatia’s full integration into the Schengen area, was discussed at the Council of Home Affairs Ministers on 8 December 2022. But while Croatia’s application was unanimously accepted, Bulgaria’s and Romania’s applications were not accepted due to the objections of two countries (Austria and the Netherlands). The vast majority of member states expressed their support for the two countries, stressing that their accession would strengthen the credibility and security of the Union.

Greece supports the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, as this will help boost the country’s economic activity through its land link to the Schengen area and strengthen the security of the EU’s external borders.

Notis Mitarakis said: „Greece takes the initiative to support Bulgaria and Romania’s application to join the Schengen area. This enlargement will also have direct benefits for Greece as it will be linked by road with the rest of the EU Member States. I met here in Vienna with the Austrian Chancellor, Mr Karl Nehammer, and the Minister of the Interior, Mr Gerhard Karner, and next week I will visit Sofia and Bucharest. There are issues that need to be addressed, in particular migration issues, the protection of our external borders, where we need a more coordinated but also a more stringent European policy. We are in contact with the Swedish Presidency and the European Commission on this initiative”.

Source: Natfemporiki/ Rador