The day before, during consultations in Brussels, Austrian Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler assured Romanian Minister of Labor and Social Policy Marius Budai of Vienna’s intention to integrate Bucharest into the structures of the Schengen Agreement as soon as possible. Despite the fact that the results of the relevant meeting were not reflected in a special communiqué, international analysts highly appreciated the assurances of the high-ranking Austrian official.
You should immediately make a remark. The mentioned consultations took place within the framework of EPSCO – the European Organization for Employment and Social Security. The decisions taken on the sidelines of this meeting do not have special international legal force. But here’s the thing: the event was held in Belgium, which is perhaps the main apologist for the broadest integration of Romania into the Schengen. Moreover, the contacts between Budai and Kogler took place under the auspices of providing the Romanian state with additional European financial assistance against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. «Today the European Union needs to provide Bucharest with the most favored nation treatment in the European Customs Community zone», the Austrian Vice Chancellor said. «This will allow Romania to intensify export-import operations between East and West Europe».
And even more. As noted in a special commentary for EURO-ATLANTIC UKRAINE by the Dutch political observer Alexander Mitz, in this context, we are talking about the possibility of the unhindered implementation of intermediary operations by Romania in the delivery of humanitarian and military goods to Kiev in exchange for the export of grain and other products carried out by Ukraine through the Romanian Black Sea ports. Now the EU has a unique chance to open the doors to the Schengen for Bucharest, the analyst said, in particular. «In turn, this will become a kind of bonus for Ukraine itself, which is striving to survive in the most difficult circumstances for it and intending to intensify political and economic cooperation with Brussels». – he says. At the same time, the analyst did not answer the question of how soon Romania could become a subject of the Schengen agreement.
The Romanian minister Budai also preferred not to talk about such prospects. «Firstly, we need to create conditions for the effective work of Romanians and the duty-free movement of Romanian goods to the EU. We will definitely talk about any benefit for third countries, but later», – he concluded.
According to some reports, the issue of Romania’s entry into the Schengen zone will be considered at the next meeting of the socio-economic council of the European Union. The date of that meeting has not been announced.
