Austria does not want Bulgaria and Romania in the Schengen area. He’ll veto

A vote on the matter was also planned for Wednesday. The candidate countries are: Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria.

The European Commission, like the European Parliament, has called for these three countries to be included in an area where over 400 million people can travel freely without internal border controls.

Schengen enlargement with problems due to migrants

The candidacies of Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria are contested due to the growing influx of migrants via the so-called Balkan route. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex has recorded 140,000 illegal border crossings along this route since January. The Netherlands and Austria have already expressed their concerns on this matter.

More information from around the world

Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner on Wednesday, before meeting with EU members, told journalists directly that he would veto the extension of the Schengen area and Bulgaria – Problems with accession to Schengen

Last month, the European Commission concluded that all three countries met the criteria to be included in the Schengen area.

We cannot continue in this uncertainty. We have very solid arguments supporting our proposal

– said the Prime Minister of Romania, Nicolae Ciuca, on Wednesday, quoted

EC on the conditions of accession to Schengen

The European Commission notes that the membership of more countries will eliminate queues of vehicles at the borders, and will also stimulate the development of the industry . In return, the new Schengen member states must tighten control over the area’s external borders and commit to police cooperation to combat organized crime or terrorism.

In order to extend the zone of free movement, unanimity of 26 countries is needed, 22 – members of the European Union and its members Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.