The Minister of Internal Affairs, Cătălin Predoiu, about Schengen

Between October, 2-5, we had a series of meetings in Vienna, Prague and Munich to promote Romania’s entry into the Schengen Area with a land border in 2024.
I had meetings with the Austrian Minister of the Interior, Gerhard Karner, the Czech Minister of the Interior, Vit Rakusan, the Bavarian Minister of the Interior, Joachim Hermman, as well as the Austrian Minister of Finance, nominated future European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Magnus Brunner.
In these discussions, I insisted on Romania’s merits and results in protecting national and EU borders, combating irregular and illegal migration and the flawless application of all Schengen systems and codes.
I demonstrated with logical arguments, but which also relate to the reality on the ground, that the decision regarding Romania’s entry into Schengen with land borders must be taken in 2024.
Romania will continue to strengthen the security of its borders, we are ready to apply all Schengen procedures, including border controls when the situation requires it, both now and in the future, after Romania’s entry into Schengen and with the land border.
As we know, last year, Romania entered the Schengen Area with air and sea borders. The decision of the European Council was accompanied by a series of adjacent measures to strengthen border control and operation of the Schengen codes and systems, which the Ministry of Internal Affairs fulfilled completely, impeccably.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs will continue to carry out intensive diplomatic efforts to achieve the Schengen objective including land borders.
I am convinced that in the JHA Council on October 10th we will receive the signals for which we have been constantly working, so that the prospect of a decision will be opened by the end of 2024. Concretely, in the JHA Council on October 10th, the Schengen Eurobarometer will be discussed, i.e. the situation in all Schengen member countries, without taking a decision being on the agenda. But at the same time, we have acted diplomatically so that in this Council we receive strong signals of support for taking a positive decision by the end of this year. In other words, for this Council to be a preparatory one. I am in constant contact with the Hungarian presidency, the European Commission and the interior ministers of the EU states to promote our objective.
Commissioner Ylva Johansson’s statement, which I welcome, made this morning in which she claims that Romania must enter Schengen with a land border in 2024 is a first step in this direction.
At the same time, the ministry will communicate the technical details of the meetings we had recently in Vienna, Prague and Munich.