The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that Bulgaria and Romania should be admitted to the EU’s free-movement zone “without any further delay,” according to Politico.
“They have proved it: Bulgaria and Romania are part of our Schengen area,” von der Leyen said in her State of the Union address, adding: “So let us finally bring them in — without any further delay.”
Last year, the Council blocked the countries’ entry following opposition from Austria and the Netherlands, as the debate about their accession became entangled in a discussion about migration along the Western Balkan route.
Transport operators complained that the delay dealt a blow to their industry. Romania’s National Union of Road Hauliers (UNTRR) has warned that its country’s stalled Schengen membership resulted in “unacceptable” border queues, causing supply chain disruption and delivery delays.
In her speech, von der Leyen praised Romania and Bulgaria for “leading the way” with their approach to asylum and returns.