Schengen

A decision to endorse the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the EU's Schengen border-free zone was vetoed today by the Netherlands and Finland at a council of EU home affairs ministers. The Greens strongly criticised the veto, with home affairs spokesperson Judith Sargentini of the Netherlands stating:

"It is hard to see this veto by Finland and the Netherlands as anything other than cynical populist grandstanding. Bulgaria and Romania have fulfilled the conditions required for their membership of Schengen, going to great lengths to do so, so there are no legitimate reasons for refusing their entry to the border-free zone.

"The two countries even vetoed a compromise proposal, under which the full accession to Schengen by Bulgaria and Romania would be gradually phased-in. This complete unwillingness to compromise shows that the governments of the Netherlands and Finland are more concerned about pandering to right wing extremists than upholding EU rules and principles."