Steps of the evaluation process

The Schengen evaluation process consists in verifying that all necessary conditions of the Schengen acquis are fulfilled. This involves that the candidate country demonstrate its capacity to fulfill the requirements of the Schengen acquis in a uniform, correct, consistent and efficient manner.

The Schengen evaluation is the responsibility of the Schengen Evaluation Working Group of the EU Council.

Steps:

Romania sends a Declaration of readiness on its readiness to start the Schengen evaluation process (On June 28, 2007 Romania sent its Declaration of readiness proposing the second half of 2008 to start the evaluation process on three areas: police cooperation, visas and data protection)r).

The General Secretariat sends an extended questionnaire containing detailed questions on all the relevant issues for implementing the Schengen provisions of Category II.

Romania fills in the questionnaire and sends it to the EU Council.

Starting of the evaluation visits, sending additional questions, questionnaires, etc.

Drafting a report analyzing the readiness of every member state in order to apply the provisions of second category. This report includes recommendations for correcting or improving the less satisfactory aspects.

Decision of the EU Council on eliminating the controls at the internal borders.

On 20th of April 2011, the meeting of the ministers of interior during the Romania – Bulgaria – Greece Trialogue took place in Athens, the main issues were international police cooperation, asylum policy and migration. The Romanian minister thanked Greece for the constant support given to Romania during the process of accession to the Schengen Area and appreciated the successful completion of the evaluation process by Bulgaria

In the margins of the JHA Council from May 2011, a Romania – Bulgaria – Austria Trialogue took place, Romania and Bulgaria requesting the support of Austria – at that time, the country holding the presidency of the Salzburg Forum – in the matter of Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen Area, as soon as possible. The Austrian minister declared his availability to conclude, successfully, the procedural aspects needed for the accession of the two countries.

In 14 June 2011, the minister of home affairs attended the International Conference “The perspectives of Romania and Bulgaria in view of acceding the Schengen area : between the implementation of the criteria and the changes in the European and international context”, held in Sofia, having as objectives the progress made by Romania and Bulgaria in the process of implementing the Schengen criteria (the so called “technical criteria”) and also discussions referring to the possibility to take viable decision on challenges generated by the changes in the European context and the vicinity.

In 29 of June 2011, during a bilateral meeting in the margins of the Ministerial Conference of the Salzburg Forum, the Romanian and Bulgarian ministers of interior signed the “Joint Action Plan for Partnership and Implementation of the Common Measures  for guaranteeing the safety of the internal security in Bulgaria and Romania, for the prevention and detection of illegal migration and related crimes and also of other cross border crimes after the accession of the two countries to the Schengen area. 

On 28 January 2011, the evaluation process of Romania, from a technical point of view, was finalized by adoption of the last Schengen report in the field of SIS/SIRENE.

The next step for Romania within the Schengen evaluation process is the adoption of the Decision for the full application of the Schengen acquis in Romania and Bulgaria, which will mark the Schengen accession of our country.

The consultation procedure on the draft Decision within the European Parliament was initiated on November 12th, 2010.

After the approval of the EP, the Justice and Home Affairs Council (EU Council) will unanimously adopt the Decision for the full application of the Schengen acquis in Romania and Bulgaria. The Decision will be published in the Official Journal of the EU and will be implemented by Romania.