SOURCES One of the scenarios for Romania’s accession to Schengen: a monitoring programme similar to the CVM in justice

Romania, the EU Member States and representatives of the European institutions are currently discussing several scenarios for Schengen accession to take place at the EU Council meeting on 8 December. One of the options under discussion is the establishment of a monitoring and cooperation mechanism, similar to the CVM, to provide additional guarantees that Romania will manage the EU border properly, political sources told G4Media.

It is unclear at this stage whether the idea of such an additional mechanism would be accepted by Romania, but it exists as a working scenario in the intense political negotiations on the Schengen issue.

Asked about the issue at a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday, EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson declined to comment.

Another option on the negotiating table is a two-step Schengen entry for Romania: first with airports, then road and sea.

The Netherlands, the only EU member state reluctant to allow Romania to join Schengen, has sent experts to Bucharest to check with European Commission staff that the necessary standards are met, as G4Media reports exclusively. It is Romania that invited the Dutch government to send a team of experts for further checks.

Depending on the results of this visit, which ends at the end of the week, the Dutch government will make a final decision.

According to G4Media, Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been actively trying to find allies among member states or within the European Commission so that the Netherlands is not the only country opposed to Romania and Bulgaria joining Schengen, but has not managed to break out of this isolation. Singling out the Netherlands against Romania and Bulgaria would create a significant political problem for The Hague.

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