Pools voorzitterschap: emoties niet van belang bij toetreding Roemenië en Bulgarije tot Schengen (en) - Hoofdinhoud

Minister of the Interior and Administration Jerzy Miller met with MEPs at a breakfast policy briefing on the Schengen area.

During the debate, the Polish Presidency sent a clear signal that the lack of a unanimous position of the Member States at the September meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council does not mean a halting of the accession of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area. Minister Jerzy Miller assured of his ongoing commitment to further implementation of this priority.

"There is no ‘duet’ of opinions on the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area. During the last meeting 25 Member States were in favor of extending the Schengen area"The Polish Presidency reiterated its support for the idea of the "community method" in the management of the Schengen zone, which was proposed by the Commission. In particular, the Minister stressed the need for greater coordination among Member States, strengthening common standards and the importance of a common European interest, not just national ones.

Minister Miller recalled that the discussion of the Schengen reform should be based on facts and not emotions. "Concerns which have been expressed in June were definitely unwarranted. The Commission’s proposal strengthens the principle of freedom of movement within the Schengen area. Therefore, Poland, regardless of the fact that the final decisions will be made already after our Presidency, supports the Commission’s proposed 'community method' "