Speaking at the first plenary session of the European Parliament in 2024, Social-Democrat       MEP Victor Negrescu, who is also a Quaestor of the institution, said that Romania’s main victory as of March is joining the decision-making process of the Schengen area, which must be completed “as soon as possible” through its full accession to the area of free movement.

“Being part of the decision-making process of the free movement area, Romania is thus entering an irreversible process of accession to the Schengen area. I call on the European partners to continue their joint efforts so that Romania’s full accession to the Schengen area is achieved, as agreed, as soon as possible”, said MEP Victor Negrescu.

At the same time, Romania’s representative in the European Parliament highlighted the advantages of joining the free movement area at this stage, pointing out that Romania is not the only country going through a two-stage process.

“After 13 years of waiting, Romania’s actual accession to the Schengen area will start in March this year. The process will start first with air and sea routes, as well as consular arrangements. Basically, from March, we will be able to travel by air without identity documents being checked, goods will be able to travel by sea without additional filters, and Romania will issue Schengen visas. Italy, Austria and Greece have also entered in two stages”, explained the European Parliament’s Quaestor Victor Negrescu.

The Council of the European Union unanimously adopted on 30 December 2023 the decision on the application of the Schengen acquis in Romania and Bulgaria, according to which the Schengen acquis will apply to Romania’s air and sea borders as of March 2024, a decision which represents the formalisation of Romania’s decision to join the free movement area with its air and sea borders. This decision was the last agreement reached by the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which expressed its satisfaction with the continued construction, after 12 years of negotiations, of an “ever wider and stronger area of free movement”.

Following this first step, the Council is expected to take a further decision to set a date for lifting controls at internal land borders.

Since their accession to the EU, Bulgaria and Romania have applied parts of the Schengen legal framework (Schengen acquis), including those on external border controls, police cooperation and the use of the Schengen Information System.

As regards the other parts of the Schengen acquis, which include the lifting of internal border controls and related measures, the Council decides unanimously on their application after having verified, in accordance with the applicable Schengen evaluation procedures, that they fulfil the necessary conditions.

Also at EU level, Belgium, which took over the rotating presidency of the Council from Spain on 1 January, has indicated through its ambassador in Bucharest that it “supports the full accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area and our presidency will try to bring these positions closer”.