The European Commission proposed a temporary suspension of visas for the Romanian and Bulgarian citizens travelling to the EU countries, an idea hailed by the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE), but which stirred up controversies among the officials in Brussels.
The European Commission suggested a “probation period’, during which the Romanian and Bulgarian citizens travelling to the European Union countries no longer had the obligation to obtain a visa, before the permanent suspension of visas was decided, Commission sources told France Presse, quoted by Mediafax.
This suggestion of the Commission was verbally made to the EU countries ambassadors in Brussels Wednesday night and stirred up “a reaction of hesitation”, the same sources say.
The EU countries are leaning towards a compromise solution regarding Romanian and Bulgarian citizens travelling without visas, Mediafax reports.
According to certain officials of the EU Council, the representatives of the 15 member states were not “really thrilled” by the proposal upheld by the European Commission on Wednesday.
However, Interior and Justice ministers of the countries in question will have the final say, and they are rather inclined to a different solution, namely to include Romania and Bulgaria on the “white” list, on condition that the current policy is maintained until the two countries make enough progress to have their visas permanently dropped.
Subsequently, Romania and Bulgaria would be theoretically struck off the black list, but citizens of these countries will still need visas to travel within the EU space. As soon as Brussels officials decide that Romania and Bulgaria have made enough progress, the citizens of these countries will be free to travel without a visa.
This period will allow checking whether the control system really works and decide to permanently drop visas.
State Secretary with MAE Mihai Ungureanu stated that the probation period imposed by the European Commission was necessary, the same procedure having already been used for Greece, which is now an EU member.