Austria will use its veto to oppose admitting Romania and Bulgaria into the EU’s border-free Schengen Area, Europe Minister Karoline Edtstadler reaffirmed on Tuesday.
On Thursday, EU Interior Ministers are set to vote on the Schengen accession of Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia – countries the European Commission said are ready to join.
“We cannot vote in favour of the enlargement of the Schengen area because it also involves the issue of the security of European citizens,” Edtstadler said on Tuesday, following a meeting with her Swedish counterpart.
The Schengen area “does not work”, said Edtstadler, pointing to the 75% of unregistered asylum seekers coming to Austria.
In the run-up to Thursday’s vote, Croatia is expected to be accepted within the visa-free bloc, though things may get more complicated for Bulgaria and Romania.
Opposition to Bulgaria’s accession currently comes from Austria and the Netherlands, while Romania now only faces opposition from Austria since Sweden and the Netherlands recently changed their tune. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner emphasised Vienna’s opposition to Bulgaria and Romania on Tuesday.
Going forward, Austria’s conservative government is counting on Stockholm.
Sweden, whose minority government relies on the support of the far-right, is up next for the rotating EU presidency. The Swedes were “coming in at the right time” to tackle the topic, Edstadler highlighted.
Once a pro-migration poster child, the Nordic country is increasingly hawkish on migration. Sweden has “a lot of experience concerning high numbers of migration,” Edtstadler stressed, adding that she was confident the Swedes could keep the topic on the agenda.
(Nikolaus J. Kurmayer | EURACTIV.de)
Source: euractiv.com
