EP Adopts Report Recommending Romania, Bulgaria’s Schengen Entry

European lawmakers adopted the report with 487 to 77 votes and 29 abstentions.

Romanian Interior Minister Traian Igas said Wednesday a clear accession date for the two countries will most likely be set in September.

The report will be debated Thursday within the EU's Council of Justice and Home Affairs.

Bulgaria and Romania have met the technical and legal criteria for joining the Schengen area and should be allowed in without further delay, according to most MEPs speaking in a debate on Tuesday, the EP said in a press release.

In a clear message to the Council, they said double standards must be avoided and there was no reason why Bulgarian and Romanian citizens should not be allowed to travel freely within the border check-free zone.

Organized crime, trafficking in human beings and corruption were issues raised by some MEPs, but the majority insisted that these were not Schengen criteria, saying they trusted these countries to join the border check-free area.

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