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Minister of Internal Affairs Lucian Bode welcomes the publication by the European Commission of the new Strategy on the future of the Schengen Area and expresses his confidence that Romania is approaching the entry into this European area of free movement.
"We all want a stronger and more resilient European free movement area. Romania is an active promoter of the modernisation process of the Schengen acquis, especially with regard to the new instruments for ensuring the EU's internal security, instruments fully assumed alongside the other member states. I am confident that, in the next period, we will take concrete steps towards a favorable decision on Romania's accession to the Schengen Area and, in this regard, I would like to thank for the constant support we have received so far on the part of the European Commission," Lucian Bode wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday.
He attended the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, in which "the proper functioning of the Schengen area and the strengthening of security in the face of challenges and threats to the Schengen area" were discussed.
"Romania fulfills all the conditions for joining Schengen and maintains at the highest level the way the EU legislation is enforced. We, therefore, can no longer remain in this unnatural and unjustified situation that has been dragging on for a very long time and that only serves to maintain fragmentation in the functioning of the Schengen area," underlines Bode.
The Minister of Internal Affairs states that, in his capacity, he pleaded on every occasion for the recognition of the essential role that Romania has in the EU security architecture and stressed the need to achieve a balance between the obligations assumed by each EU member state and the rights it benefits from.
"After all, the Schengen Area is a pillar of the European project, being one of the largest and most concrete achievements of the European Union. Romania wants to be part of this area of free movement, security and justice, being a legitimate desire as a state member of the European Union," the Romanian minister also shows.
