Romanian Interior Minister Cătălin Predoiu has said that Romania is better positioned than it was last year in order to complete its full accession to the Schengen Zone.
Predoiu expressed his optimism regarding Romania’s full accession to the Schengen Zone, in terms of land borders, during his participation in the informal JAI Council in Budapest, Schengen.News reports.
We are better positioned than last year because we were a non-member state, and now we are a Schengen member state. Yes, it is true, only with two out of three borders, but we are still inside Schengen.
He said that there has been no precedent of a Schengen member state significantly delaying the entire integration after partial entry with one or two borders.
Minister Predoiu Hopes Full Accession Will Happen Within a Year
When asked about the timeframe for full accession, the Romanian Interior Minister considered a one-year period as a plausible expectation.
There are no precedents for such delays. Romania is not the first state to enter Schengen in stages. Even Austria experienced a similar phased entry.
He emphasised that the process is irreversible once a state is entirely integrated.
In comparison to last year, Predoiu said that the current political situation is more complex, mentioning the upcoming European Commission formation as well as elections that will be held in several European countries, taking into account Romania as well.
According to the Minister, these factors also affect the dynamic nature of the accession process.
Prediou mentioned the recent elections held in the Netherlands stressing that the country is forming a new government which will influence its stance on various dossiers. He emphasized that this context adds several variables to the accession process.
Hungary Reiterates Importance of Romania’s Schengen Land Border Accession by End of 2024
Earlier this month, the Deputy Minister of the Interior of Hungary, Bence Retvari, emphasised the importance of the inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria in the Schengen Zone by the end of this year.
At present, Hungary is holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU, which started on July 1, 2024, and will last until the end of this year.
Highlighting that unnecessary delays should be avoided to reach a resolution, Retvari, highlighted the importance of keeping the issue of Schengen accession in terms of land borders, on the EU Council agenda.
While Romania and Bulgaria are part of the Schengen Zone by air and sea, from March 31, 2024, land border controls continue to remain effective.
