site.btaRomanian PM Ciolacu: Bucharest May Weigh Splitting Its Schengen Bid from Bulgaria's

Romanian Prime Minister Ion-Marcel Ciolacu said Bucharest may weigh splitting its Schengen bid from Bulgaria's effort if negotiations point to a better outcome.

Interviewed on https://www.bloomberg.com in Bucharest on Tuesday, Ciolacu said he'll ask the Spanish government, which holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency, to hold an extraordinary meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in December to re-visit the eastern nation's bid. The meeting will fall after an election in the Netherlands on Novåmber 22, when the political calculus could change, Ciolacu presumes.

In his interview, the premier underlined Romania's solidarity with EU and NATO allies as a state bordering Ukraine.

"It's Romania that's shouldered the bulk of the transit of Ukrainian exports," Ciolacu said in his office Monday. "It's a necessity for Europe to have Romania and Bulgaria in Schengen." 

He called Romania's failure to join the European Union's visa-free travel zone a "profound injustice" and referred to Austria's veto as "unjustified". Ciolacu said his government is also considering legal action at the European Court of Justice.

He lashed out at the government in Vienna, saying that Austria is covered by an EU-wide air-defence system as a non-NATO member even as Romania, a member of the alliance, contributes to the region's defence.

"It's very hard for me to accept that Austria benefits from the European Sky Shield initiative even though it's a neutral country, while Romania allocates 2.5% of its GDP for defence," Ciolacu said.

Romania, along with neighboring Bulgaria, has chafed at a struggle for over a decade to join Schengen even though both countries have long met conditions set out by the bloc. The border checks have caused billions of euros in losses and days-long waits for trucks carrying goods, including grains and military supplies for Ukraine, Ciolacu said.

Austria and the Netherlands blocked entry in the EU's Justice and Home Affairs Council last year. The Dutch government's veto centres on Bulgaria, Bloomberg reported.