Bulgaria and Romania set a good example with their smooth accession to Schengen, said a representative of the EC

BRUSSELS – The acceptance of Bulgaria and Romania into Schengen was a good thing, it brought positive results and went very smoothly in both countries, said Olivier Onidi, head of the European Commission (EC) on issues related to the European area without border checks, before the Members of the European Parliament from the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

According to him, Bulgaria and Romania have set a good example for countries that are also awaiting accession. He stated that by the end of the year, Cyprus will strive to meet the requirements and may also become part of Schengen next year. According to Onidi, Ireland is showing interest in applying Schengen rules, and the EC is already working with the countries of the Western Balkans to prepare for a future in Schengen, once they complete the accession negotiations with the EU.

A total of 40 percent of cross-border travel worldwide takes place in the Schengen area, he noted. According to him, Schengen has a significant contribution to the growth of the European gross domestic product. We expect that by the end of the year, the EC will have an assessment ready on the economic benefits of belonging to the Schengen area, Onidi pointed out.

He stated that annually the Schengen borders are crossed one billion times, and 10 million Schengen visas are issued in the EU. He acknowledged that more work is needed on the full digitalization of the processes related to the functioning of Schengen.

At the end of last month, the EC presented a report on the state of the area without border checks, which states that the full accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area significantly strengthens the EU economy and it is expected that the two countries will save billions of euros in costs. It is noted that since the beginning of this year, the two countries have fully entered Schengen after a process that lasted 18 years. The Schengen area has brought deep benefits to the EU and European citizens, it is the backbone of the internal European market and facilitates the lives of nearly 450 million people, the report states. Last year, the Schengen area was visited by over half a billion people, and this has encouraged economic growth, the commission added. (May 12)