Romanian MPs ask Dutch MPs to support Romania's joining Schengen area

The Romanian Parliament's Friendship parliamentary group with Netherlands on Friday sent a letter to the Dutch Parliament inviting them to dialogue with a view to winning support for Romania's accession to the Schengen area.

"Given that Romania has met the criteria for accession to Schengen area - secure Romanian borders, airports and ports - since 2011, the unjustified postponement in granting the right of access to the Schengen area harms both Romanian citizens and Romanian companies, which have to put up with wasted time and resources, as well as the fluidity of the movement of goods on the single European market," reads the letter addressed to the Dutch counterparts by the Romanian MPs, members of the friendship group, signed by group chairman Viorel Baltaretu of the Save Romania Union (USR).

The document also says that the Romanian-Dutch commercial exchanges are also affected, although Romania is a reliable commercial partner for the Netherlands.

"In 2021, the value of imports from the Netherlands amounted to almost 4 billion euros (Romanian exports were worth 2.5 billion euros in the same year). In addition, the Netherlands is at the top of foreign investors in Romania."

The letter emphasises that, amid the military conflict in Ukraine, Romania plays an important role in maintaining the stability of the European Union, an objective to which it contributes on economic, social and military levels, and Romania has reconfirmed its role as guarantor of secure borders in the Schengen area through an efficient management of waves of Ukrainian refugees.

"In recent months, Romania voluntarily expressed its openness to receive a delegation of European experts to update the degree of compliance with the Schengen acquis standards. Their unanimous conclusion was that Romania is clearly fully prepared for accession."

The parliamentary friendship group with the Netherlands conclude by voicing availability for a meeting at an inter-parliamentary level in which they have the opportunity to back their arguments in favour of Romania's accession to the Schengen Area, according to a USR press statement.