Schengen Enlargement

On 8 and 9 March 2024, the international conference ‘For a Stronger and Safer Europe: A Pan-European Vision of the European Union and Schengen Enlargement’ was organised by the Pan-European Union Romania at the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest.

Participants from Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Austria, Italy, Germany, France, North Macedonia, Moldova, Spain, Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia and Romania were present.

The conference was attended by the Vice-President of the Romanian Government Marian-Cătălin Predoiu, the European Commissioner for Transport Adina-Ioana Vălean, the representative in the German Bundestag Gunther Krichbaum, the President of the International Pan-European Union Alain Terrenoire, the Secretary General of the International Pan-European Union and the President of the Croatian Pan-European Union Pavo Barišić, the President of the Romanian Pan-European Union Alexandru Nazare, the Deputy Secretary General of the International Pan-European Union Vanja Gavran, the President of the Macedonian Pan-European Union Andrej Lepavcov, the President of the French Pan-European Union Eric Campion, the President of the Pan-European Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina Franjo Topić, the Secretary General of the Pan-European Movement Austria Rainhard Kloucek and many others.

Predoiu recalled that the process of preparing Romania and Bulgaria for accession to the Schengen area was underway and that the European Council had already established in 2011 that Bulgaria and Romania met the criteria and were ready, but that this had subsequently become a political issue that continues to this day due to the blockade of some Member States. He expressed the hope that the entire process of joining the Schengen area would be finalised by the end of the year.

The founder of the Pan-European Union, Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi, was in favour of abolishing borders between European countries as early as 1922. He was of the opinion that the abolition of borders would promote the cultural and economic development of the peoples of Europe. That is why today we also support the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area, just as Croatia will join at the beginning of 2023,’ said Barišić.

Commissioner Vălean said that crises have shown that we need to show solidarity. After the avian flu pandemic, the European Commission has mobilised more than €750 billion for the economic recovery of Member States and we have shown unity and solidarity with the EU Next Generation project. We must continue to focus on the capabilities of the European economy,’ concluded Mr Vălean.

Today, European security depends on the United States, which is not good. Europe must organise itself better and be independent of others in all areas, especially in the field of security. Brussels must realise this,’ Terrenoire emphasised, adding: ’We are at war. Russia has decided to re-establish its imperialist past and its Soviet borders. This is unacceptable and that is why we need our own security and defence policy'. If we do not defend Ukraine, Russia will not stop. Europe's fundamental values are peace, democracy and human rights, and Putin will never accept these values,’ said Krichbaum. With regard to the European Union's enlargement policy, he made the interesting suggestion of giving the candidate countries the status of observer countries, whose representatives would participate in the work of the EU institutions.

Topić said, among other things, that a stable Europe requires a stable South-East Europe and that the geopolitical decision to admit the six countries in the region was also important for the EU. If we had not finally realised that Russia and some other countries are laying claim to this region, the process of European integration would still be on hold because the policy of enlargement to include a number of EU countries would not be a priority,’ Topić said, expressing hope that negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina would begin at the end of this month.

In his speech, Nazare particularly emphasised the role of important Romanians in the Pan-European Union and its foundation in 1922. He mentioned in particular the Foreign Minister and then President of the Assembly of the League of Nations, Nicolae Titulescu, who worked closely with Coudenhove-Kalergi.

The conference participants agreed that trust is important to strengthen the European Union and that member states should not only look at their own interests and therefore block other countries, but should recognise common interests and build European policy on them.

Programme (EN) (PDF)