May 17 (SeeNews) - The European Commission has again called upon the European Council in its Justice and Home Affairs format to give the green light to Bulgaria and Romania to become full members of the passport-free Schengen area, it said.
The decision on the Schengen area enlargement by two countries' proposed admission is one of the priorities for the 2023-2024 Schengen cycle and ought to be taken by Council before the end of the current year, the Commission said in its second State of Schengen Report presented on Tuesday.
Croatia became the latest Schengen member state on January 1, after receiving unanimous support from all 27 member states in December. In the same vote, the memberships of Bulgaria and Romania were blocked, because two member states did not approve of their accession.
Over the past 12 years, the EC has made several calls for the admission of Bulgaria and Romania to the 27-member travel area without internal border controls. Most recently, in November, the Commission again affirmed that the two countries are fully prepared to join as they have continued to steadily implement all rules and tools, including latest developments, of the Schengen acquis.
In March, the EU launched pilot projects on migration management with Romania and Bulgaria, with a focus in Bulgaria on the external EU border with Turkey.
The justice and home affairs ministers of the EU member states will meet in the Schengen Council on June 8 to discuss the policy priorities identified in the report.