EU parliament votes for Bulgaria and Romania to be admitted to Schengen

[pampango]

Source: Euronews

A large majority of the European Parliament has voted in favour of a resolution stating that Bulgaria and Romania have met all the conditions for joining the passport-free Schengen area, and should be admitted. Earlier this year their entry was blocked by the Netherlands and Finland.

German MEP Manfred Weber questioned the Dutch and Finnish motives.

“The Netherlands’ and Finland’s refusals have nothing to do with facts, nothing to do with objective criteria. It’s obvious that there is political motivation, because obviously right-wing populist parties made use of their veto. I’m asking myself if the European Council will admit – because we have to deal with this subject – that right-wing populist parties can block important decisions in the European Union.”

The resolution passed on Thursday urges member states to base their decision purely on Schengen entry criteria, and to respect the EU legal framework.

Read more: http://www.euronews.net/2011/10/13/eu-parliament-votes-for-bulgaria-and-romania-to-be-admitted-to-schengen/