France’s Support for Romania’s Schengen Accession
The French ambassador to Bucharest, Nicolas Warney, has expressed France’s support for Romania’s full accession to the Schengen Zone, including with the land borders. According to Warney, the majority of the European Union is in favor of Romania’s full membership, citing the absurdity of queues at land borders and the impact on the movement of people, goods, security, and the environment.
Warney emphasized the coherence and political importance of Romania’s Schengen bid, and highlighted the inefficiencies and security concerns caused by delays at the land borders. He expressed France’s backing for Romania’s complete membership to the borderless area of the EU as soon as possible.
Although Austria had previously blocked Romania’s accession over concerns about irregular migration, a proposal called “Air Schengen” was agreed upon in December 2022, setting out conditions for Romania and Bulgaria’s membership to Schengen. However, Austria’s Interior Minister, Gerhard Karner, stated that the country still maintains its veto when it comes to land border accession.
Recently, Romanian MEPs, along with Greek and Bulgarian representatives, called for the abolishment of land border controls as part of efforts to ease travel during the summer season. This comes as discussions around the further expansion of Schengen in terms of land border controls continue. France’s support for Romania’s full accession to Schengen reflects a growing consensus within the EU, illustrating the importance of efficient and secure cross-border travel.
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