The S&D Group today demanded, in a letter addressed to the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk to take all the necessary steps to enable Bulgaria and Romania to join the Schengen area.
In the letter, S&D Group President Gianni Pittella said:
“Our Group has long been calling for the Schengen area to be extended to include Romania and Bulgaria. Both countries meet the relevant criteria set out by the European Commission, as was clearly recognised by president Juncker in his State of the Union address and openly stated in yesterday’s recommendation to the EU Council.
“Border free travel is one of the great success stories of the European Union and it is only right that all citizens have the chance to benefit from it. We urge European Council president Donald Tusk to take the necessary steps to enable both countries to finally become full members of the Schengen area without further delay. It is high time Romanians and Bulgarians stopped being treated as second class European citizens.”
