Austria “unjustifiable” decision to block Romanian’s Schengen accession

Romania is one the European Union country with 16 million populations joined the EU in 2007 and had high hopes of integration into vast zone of free movement after waiting for more than 10 years. Romania is ready to be part of Schengen after having fulfilled all technical and legal conditions, including border management and police cooperation. 8 December is likely to decide the Romania accession into the EU passport free Schengen area.

With 22 EU nations now participating, together with four linked non-EU countries, Schengen is the largest free-travel region in the world (Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein). Despite backing from the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the majority of member states, the decision on December 8 prevented Bulgaria and Romania from entering the EU border-free zone as of January 1, 2023. However, Croatia got admitted to the Schengen area.

The Austria that is single handely country that blocking Romania is unjustified and regrettable move. The Romanian president reiterated that a single member country chose to ignore these realities and block European unanimity, in an explicable way that is difficult to understand for the entire European Union.

What’s keeping Romania out of the Schengen?

According to Austria point of view said that Romania promotes the illegal migrants pass through the Romania. It is responsible for all the illegal migration. He pointed out those 75000 illegal migrants reached Austria without being spotted by the country is they crossed on their way.

The migratory flow does not pass through Romania. Without a doubt Romania meets all the technical conditions for accession to the Schengen area.

Indeed in the first ten months all the illegal entries detected by frontex almost 281000 which took place through Balkans routine. But the all illegal migration is not taken place through Romania that is according to the reports of frontex.

According to the Austria, 75,000 unregistered immigrants have arrived there this year, creating a “security risk that we cannot wash away.”

Although the result was largely predicted to be negative, the political setback it symbolizes is nonetheless significant for Romania and Bulgaria, which joined the EU six years after Croatia.

Romania Continue its Efforts Become part of visa Free Zone

At the justice of the home affairs council on December 8, Romanian political leaders responded to the Austria’s choice to vote against including in the Schengen region without borders. They did, however, reassure Romania that it will stay on this course because joining Schengen remains a top priority for the nation.

At the Justice and Home Affairs Council on December 8, Romanian political leaders responded to Austria’s choice to vote against including Romania in the Schengen region without borders. They did, however, reassure Romania that it will stay on this course because joining Schengen remains a top priority for the nation.

President Klaus lohannis said that Romania deserved to earn a favorable vote from all EU interior ministers and called Thursday’s lack of unanimity “profoundly unfair”. A single member state decided to impede European  unanimity and, according to the Romanian leader, the regrettable and unreasonable attitude of Austria” risks damaging “European  unity  and cohesiveness, which we need so much, especially in the current geopolitical scenario.”

According to the president lohannis, “Romania will continue to engage responsibly, aggressively, and in good faith” towards bolstering EU internal security.

Romania’s ministry of foreign affairs has called Austria‘s ambassadors to Bucharest to discuss Austria’s inadmissible and unjustified for Romania stance towards Romania’s Schengen request.

The ministry of foreign affairs issued a statement warning of the “inevitable affects” this would have on bilateral relations.

Romania, like Austria, has expressed displeasure with the latter’s sudden decision to back out. “Austria’s position is all the more inadmissible as it was expressed for the first time on november18, 2022, while only two days before, last month 2022, Austria expressed full support for Romania’s accession formally and officially at the meeting in Bucharest of the Salzburg forum, through the joint declaration of the ministers of interior adopted on that occasion, including Austria, a text that mentions the support, presented in this format.

It is puzzling and challenging situation for European Union to comprehend one member state opted to ignore the facts and prevented the European unanimity. This regretful and inappropriate behavior of Austria threatens to undermine the unity and cohesiveness of Europe which is much needed, particularly given the current geopolitical situation.

Lack of consensus regarding Romania’s accession to Schengen due to the Austria opposition is profoundly unfair for Romania. So in this case Romania deserved to receive a favorable vote to get Schengen visa.