Croatia can join the Schengen passport-free zone if it is up to the European Commission. The Balkan country of 4.5 million inhabitants now meets all the conditions for becoming a member of the club of countries between which people can travel freely. But according to the European Commission, Bulgaria has not yet got their affairs in order, and therefore remain under special supervision. It is up to the EU countries to decide on Schengen access, which requires unanimity.
Of the 28 EU countries, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland and the United Kingdom are not (yet) members of the Schengen zone. The non-EU countries Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein are included.
Now that Croatia, which joined the EU six years ago, has managed its external borders, it can, according to the committee, become a member of the Schengen zone. The Schengen Convention stipulates that people are in principle no longer checked at the border. The treaty was concluded in 1985 in the Luxembourg city of Schengen by Germany, France and the three Benelux countries.
Romania has done nothing about judicial reforms and the fight against corruption in the past year. The country therefore remains under special supervision. The Netherlands is one of the EU countries that has for some time been opposed to Romania's admission to the passport-free area. The Netherlands openly complains about corruption and favoritism in the Romanian government apparatus.
Last year, Vice-President Frans Timmermans lashed out in Romania, where he found the situation & #8220; sadly & #8221; called. Now the daily EU board calls it & #8220; unfortunately & #8221; that Bucharest did nothing about the recommendations, although the government promised improvements in June.
To get out of the special supervision, Bucharest will have to suspend a series of (criminal) laws and reverse appointments at the OM and the anti-corruption service.
Bulgaria, on the other hand, has followed the recommendations and has taken steps for judicial reform and the approach to organized crime. This will give Bulgaria an overview of dismissal from the monitoring program. Before the committee decides whether Bulgaria can be excluded from the program, the Member States and the European Parliament will be consulted.