Says Hilde Berit Edie, Charge d’affaires of the Norwegian Embassy in Bucharest.
The statement came as a response to media reports that Norway does not approve the extension of the Schengen area to Bulgaria and Romania.
Norway will hail the enlargement of the border-free Schengen Area with the accession of Romania and Bulgaria when a decision is taken in this respect, acting charge d’affaires of the Norwegian Embassy in Bucharest Hilde Berit Edie told Agerpres, adding that Norway will not be part of the decision-making process because it is not a member state of the European Union.
The decision about Romania and Bulgaria’s’ accession to the Schengen Area will be taken by the European Union member states, the official said, adding that even if it is a Schengen member state, Norway will not take part in the decision making process in the Council of the European Union. Norway, the official added, will certainly hail the enlargement of the Schengen area with the inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria as soon as the EU member state so decide.
The statement came in response to media reports that Norway does not approve the extension of the Schengen area to Bulgaria and Romania. Along with several EU countries, Norwegians do not want to see Bulgaria in the European visa-free space, Russian Radiovesti reports, quoted by Bulgarian media portal Standart News on August 2.
The Norwegian society is against the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area and its government considers refusing the accession of the two countries, the Russian source informs.
Norwegian politicians say that otherwise all members of the Schengen area would be flooded by a new crime wave. According to official data released by Eurostat, currently there are 15 EU countries with active Bulgarian and Romanian criminal gangs, which are considered among the most dangerous.
On August 3, Romania’s Foreign Ministry (MAE) reported that no Norwegian government official has recently made any public statement that Norway is opposing Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen Area.
“After Romanian media reports that Norway opposes Romania’s and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen Area, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remarks: No Norwegian government official has recently made any public statement to the above-mentioned effect. On the contrary, on the occasion of meetings at various levels with Norwegian officials, the Romanian party has been assured that Norway supports Romania’s legitimate aspiration to join the Schengen Area, given Norway’s status and special relations with the European Union,” MAE said in a press release back then.
MAE also stated that Norway is not a member of the EU, but fully participates in the European Economic Area and the Schengen Agreement, yet from a strictly technical point of view, does not have the right to vote in the Justice and Home Affairs Council.
“Romania’s Embassy in Oslo does not have information of any Norwegian NGO collecting signatures for a petition against Romania’s accession to the Schengen Area. The freedom of movement of the EU member states’ nationals (one of the four fundamental freedoms) is guaranteed under the Treaties of Accession to the Union and is not directly related to membership of the Schengen Area. Thus, since the time Romania joined the EU, Romanian nationals have been able to travel freely to the European Economic Area, therefore to Norway as well, irrespective of whether Romania is or is not a member of the Schengen Area,” reads the release.
