site.btaRomanian MEP: No Risk for Austria to Object if Bulgaria, Romania, Greece Agree on Regional Schengen

In a BTA interview, Romanian MEP Eugen Tomac said that there is no risk for Austria to object if Bulgaria, Romania and Greece decide to conclude a trilateral agreement on the abolition of land border controls between the three countries.

He noted that such a move does not require the consent of the European Commission. "It [EC] only has to be notified," Tomac said, adding that this is "a logical solution that our governments can resort to, given the humiliation Romanian and Bulgarian citizens have been subjected to for so many years".

Following are key moments from the interview:

Q: Is the idea of abolishing land border controls between Bulgaria, Greece and Romania, or a "regional, Balkan Schengen", plausible? This is an idea that your colleague Dacian Ciolos put forward a week ago together with Bulgarian MP Daniel Lorer, Romanian MEP Vlad Gheorghe and Greek MEP Giorgos Kyrtsos.

A: This is not a new idea at all. The proposal to abolish land border controls between our countries was made right after the decision of the [EU] Justice and Home Affairs Council was adopted in 2022, when we were denied entry into the Schengen area. Today, our countries are already in Schengen, but only partially. Given that Greece does not have a direct border with any other EU Member State except Bulgaria, only a tripartite agreement between the countries involved is needed. The consent of the European Commission is not even necessary. It only needs to be notified. There is no risk for Austria to object. I do not think that such a decision would make anyone feel uncomfortable. It is a logical solution that our governments can resort to, given the humiliation to which Romanian and Bulgarian citizens have been subjected for so many years.

Q: What can and should Romania and Bulgaria do from now on regarding Schengen?

A: First, it has to be said that the governments of Romania and Bulgaria did not have a common Schengen strategy until 2022, and the dialogue between Bucharest and Sofia on this matter was vague. This is a mistake that needs to be corrected. It goes without saying that a common position, a common strategy for action, can lead to better results in less time.

Q: Do better results in less time mean that we will be admitted to the Schengen area for land travel by the end of the year?

A: If the Justice and Home Affairs Council does not take a decision on Schengen entry for land travel for Romania and Bulgaria as of January 1, 2025, nothing whatsoever will happen next year. Especially since Belgium, which holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, will hold parliamentary elections on the same day as the European Parliament elections, June 9. It remains to be seen whether it will decide to include our entry for land travel on the agenda of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in March.

Q: We are entering an election year. What do you expect from the European Parliament elections?

A: I hope there will be a huge turnout in all European countries. I hope that many young people will vote, as they are the ones who will make the decisions of tomorrow. These elections come at a very difficult time, and it is obvious that the effort to convince European citizens of the importance of these elections is even greater. That is why it is essential to combat disinformation, to ignore the messages of extremist parties, to explain, to talk to people, to have convincing projects, and to pursue our objectives sincerely.