On Wednesday, 16 November, the European Commission presented the proposal to include Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania to the Schengen Area’s free travel zone.
The European Commission has asked the Council of Europe to make the necessary decision to include these countries into the Schengen Area. However, this decision has been delayed by the council for the past 11 years.
In December 2021 the Council of Europe confirmed that Croatia, which joined the EU in 2013, has fulfilled all the criteria to join the Schengen Area.
The Schengen Area includes 22 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
The EU leadership will vote on including three more countries to the Schengen Area at a meeting on 8 December. Multiple countries have expressed doubts about these countries’ progress in the fight against organised crime and migration issues.
Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania are asked to prove they guard the borders with countries not in the Schengen Area, that they battle cross-border crime and share information. They are also required to have mechanisms in place to take on asylum seekers.