The Push for Romania’s Full Schengen Accession
President of the Senate and presidential candidate of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Nicolae Ciucă, made a lightning visit to Vienna on Monday, where he met with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. The main topic of discussion was Romania’s full accession to the Schengen Area.
Nicolae Ciucă met with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer PHOTO National Liberal Party
Meeting with Chancellor Nehammer
President of the Senate and PNL presidential candidate, Nicolae Ciucă, visited Vienna to meet with Chancellor of Austria, Karl Nehammer. The primary focus of their dialogue was Romania’s complete accession to the Schengen Area.
“I am confident that we will soon have Austria’s support for Romania’s full entry into Schengen. We are finalizing a process that began a long time ago in these days. I thank our ministers of Internal Affairs and Foreign Affairs, Cătălin Predoiu and Luminița Odobescu, for their efforts. Romania is ready, deserves to fully enter the Schengen Area, and will do so,” stated Nicolae Ciucă after the meeting with the Austrian Chancellor.
Accompanied by Minister Predoiu
For his visit to the Austrian capital, Nicolae Ciucă was accompanied by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Cătălin Predoiu, who will represent Romania in next month’s meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the EU, which includes the agenda item of Romania’s full accession to the Schengen Area. Nicolae Ciucă’s visit to Vienna was organized through the European People’s Party, the largest political party in the European Union, to which both the PNL and the Austrian People’s Party (Chancellor Nehammer’s party) belong.
Efforts for Schengen Accession
Cătălin Predoiu, along with the former Minister of Internal Affairs, Lucian Bode, have made persistent efforts in recent years to create all the necessary technical conditions for Romania’s entry into Schengen. As a result of these liberal efforts, this year, on March 31, Romania partially joined Schengen, with air borders.
Upcoming Discussions and Decisions
The meeting between Nicolae Ciucă and Karl Nehammer comes in the context of an informal discussion of the Interior Ministers of Romania and Bulgaria with their Austrian counterpart, Gerhard Karner, scheduled for November 22 in Budapest. This discussion will prepare for the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting on December 12 in Luxembourg, where a political decision at the European level is expected regarding the full entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen Area.
Conclusion
The visit of Nicolae Ciucă to Vienna and his meeting with Chancellor Nehammer highlight Romania’s continued efforts and commitment towards full accession to the Schengen Area. With key discussions and decisions on the horizon, the country is poised to further integrate into the European community.
FAQ
What is the Schengen Area?
- The Schengen Area is a zone comprising 26 European countries that have abolished passport and border control at their mutual borders.
When did Romania partially join Schengen?
- Romania partially joined Schengen on March 31 this year, with the inclusion of air borders.