The European Parliament advocates for the lifting of Schengen land border controls for Bulgaria and Romania by the end of the year.
Summary:
- The European Parliament has called for the elimination of land border controls in Bulgaria and Romania by the end of the year.
- This move aims to alleviate long queues of trucks.
- The European Parliament suggests a new regulation that would restrict truck inspections to one minute per vehicle.
To address the issue of lengthy queues of trucks at the land borders of Bulgaria and Romania, the European Parliament has called for the elimination of land border checks for these two countries by the end of the current year. While Bulgaria and Romania partially joined the Schengen Zone on March 31, which involved the removal of sea and air controls, regulations concerning land border checks remain unchanged.
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have expressed concerns about the daily detention of hundreds of goods vehicles at internal EU borders, citing adverse effects on the health and working conditions of drivers, road safety, and the operations of carriers. To expedite border processes, MEPs propose a new regulation stipulating that truck inspections at EU borders should not exceed one minute per vehicle. Additionally, they advocate for allowing truck drivers to use smaller border crossings under specific conditions.
The initiative for the one-minute inspection limit was introduced by Bulgarian MEP Andrey Novakov (EPP/GERB). The European Parliament aims to implement this standard by mid-2024, demonstrating its commitment to streamlining border procedures and supporting the logistics sector.
Bulgarian MEP Emil Radev (EPP/GERB) emphasized that the European Parliament's stance is a step toward resolving the issue of long vehicle queues at borders, underscoring the importance of relaxed inspection rules for trucks at border checkpoints. Radev reiterated the EP's strong support for Bulgaria and Romania's full membership in the Schengen area, which would provide a definitive solution to the time-consuming border control document processing.
Despite the partial accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU's passport-free travel zone, the exact date for land border accession remains uncertain. River borders, including those between Bulgaria and Romania along the Danube, are still subject to controls.
MEPs have urged the EU to address long queues for heavy goods vehicles at EU borders, calling for a deadline for Bulgaria and Romania's full Schengen membership no later than mid-2024. Gunther Fehlinger, an Austrian economist and politician, recently suggested finalizing land border accession for Bulgaria and Romania by May 1, 2024, despite Austria's past concerns about irregular migration.
Remaining outside the Schengen Area has resulted in significant financial losses for Sofia and Bucharest. Bulgarian businesses have reported losses of at least €1 billion due to border stoppages, while Romania has incurred losses totaling €2.41 billion for similar reasons, according to a report from the National Union of Road Hauliers from Romania (UNTRR).