“The Netherlands is not opposed in principle. We say that all countries that comply with the situations will have to join the Schengen area,” Rutte said. [EPA-EFE/Phil Nijhuis]
The Netherlands opposes Romania’s accession to the Schengen domain as long as all situations are met, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told a news conference in Bucharest.
Rutte, who traveled to Bucharest to Dutch troops stationed there, also met with President Klaus Iohannis, with whom he discussed the Schengen club as Romania, as well as Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Ireland are not yet members.
The Netherlands has already made its position known in the EU ministers’ vote on Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen in December.
“The Netherlands is not opposed in principle. We say that all countries that comply with the situations will have to register in the Schengen area,” Rutte said.
Romania has taken many steps in the right direction in recent years, Rutte said, noting that Romania is not acting very well with regard to the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM), the two issues are not officially linked.
Dutch officials have long complained about corruption disorders in Romania and noted that the GVC, which is in a position for Romania to meet the EU’s needs for rule of law and judicial reform, demonstrates that Romania has reversed some of the positive steps taken in the afterlife in this regard.
At the same time, the Commission continues its control, but the Schengen procedure is absolutely separate from the GVC. However, Bulgaria and Romania, two countries that were subject to the CVM when they joined the EU in 2007, remain outside Schengen. area.
Speaking about the GVC, Rutte said: “The Netherlands is not opposed to Romania’s accession to Schengen, but we will have to do it transparently and fairly. That’s why I talked about the CVM.
“Enough positive steps will have to be taken and the rule of law will have to be structurally improved,” he added, adding that progress on corruption and GVC benchmarks will be assessed.
Iohannis, for his part, commented that talks with Rutte related to the Schengen club were positive.
There have been no “special, unprecedented or indisputable” requests from the Netherlands, Iohannis said, but only requests on Schengen-related issues. “We will combine the most productive tactics to resolve the disruptions that are not yet fully clarified. “because they have not all been discussed yet. I am optimistic,” the Romanian president said.
While EU ministers set a deadline in December for an imaginable Schengen club for Romania and Bulgaria, the two senior officials have refrained from setting a transparent deadline, albeit Romania and Bulgaria. Rutte said the scenario will be analyzed very well and will not take more time than necessary. .
(Bogdan Neagu | EURACTIV. ro)