site.btaBulgaria, Romania Fulfil Schengen Entry Requirements, European Commission's Spokesperson Says

The European Commission's position on Bulgaria and Romania's fulfilment of the Schengen accession requirements is clear, a spokesperson for the Commission said Thursday, answering a question related to the growing number of migrant arrivals on the Italian island of Lampedusa and Austria's response to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s speech to the European Parliament.

Austria has rejected Von der Leyen’s call to lift its veto against Bulgaria and Romania joining the Schengen area, arguing that extending the visa-free zone currently makes no sense. In her State of the Union address on Wednesday, von der Leyen called out Austria for blocking the Schengen accession of Bulgaria and Romania, urging the country to “finally let them in – without further delay”. Austria, however, was quick to dismiss the request. “Currently, the migration figures are rising across Europe, and in many countries, additional border controls are being discussed, for example, in Germany with Poland,” Austria’s Interior Minister, Gerhard Karner, said in a statement.

The spokesperson said that the Commission's message to the EU countries is very clear - Bulgaria and Romania belong in Schengen because they have met all the necessary requirements.