site.btaEP President Metsola Expects Acceptable Solution for Schengen Enlargement by Year’s End

A positive decision on the enlargement of Schengen to Bulgaria and Romania should be expected by the end of the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council, European Parliament (EP) President Roberta Metsola said in an interview with correspondents of the European Newsroom, a platform for cooperation between 21 European news agencies, including BTA. "You have been not only expecting it but deserving it since 2011," she said.

"I hope that we will have a decision that would be acceptable,"  she added. She also said: "The EP has done its job and if we need to do any new job, we will do it. The majorities are here, no problem. I mean, no problem from our end. I think we can manage to find a solution. We have high expectations of this Presidency to try to work with the Austrian colleagues and also others whether any other countries continue to have questions, and I think those questions can be answered."

In her words, migration is a particularly sensitive issue and it seems that solutions should be sought by majority rather than unanimity. She noted that five years after the introduction of the migration-related bills, the EU cannot find a way out. Metsola believes that there should be no blocking majority in the EU Council, and she is optimistic that a solution will be found to these issues.

The EP President said that internal borders in the EU are being closed because the external border guard policy is not working well. According to her, if the necessary checks are made on travellers at external borders, there will be no need to re-establish internal borders. Decisions should be legislative, not political, she insisted.