Schengen/Belgian Presidency of EU Council to continue to work for full accession of Romania and Bulgaria

The Belgian Presidency of the EU Council will continue to work for the full accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area, in accordance with the recommendations of the European Commission, the Belgian Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden said on Monday, after the end of the first day of the Justice and Home Affairs Council.I evaluated the very important decision adopted last December that will lead to the lifting of controls at the internal air and maritime borders in Romania and Bulgaria starting from March 31. I wish to convey my warmest congratulations to the two countries involved and to the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council for this major achievement. I can assure you that the Belgian presidency of the EU Council will continue to work for full accession to Schengen in accordance with the Commission's recommendations, Verlinden said in the press conference at the end of the meeting of European interior ministers.Also related to Schengen, the Belgian minister remembered the "extremely important" agreement agreed with the European Parliament a month ago regarding the Schengen Borders Code.This is another important legislative piece of this big puzzle that will contribute to the consolidation of our common space. As you can see, the Schengen governance is increasingly structured and all these are very positive developments. We have to continue, stressed Annelies Verlinden.She stated that drug trafficking is a major threat to the security and health of EU citizens, but also to the rule of law and the stability of European democracies.Combating this trafficking and organized crime requires an approach from several angles, an example of this being the Alliance of European Ports, launched in January in Antwerp, in the north of Belgium.The participants also had an exchange of views regarding the general situation of the Schengen area and the evaluation of the Frontex regulation (the EU regulation on the Border Police and Coast Guard), the conclusion being that attention must be focused on the implementation of this regulation and not on its modification. Also, a priority should be the measures included in the action plan presented by the European Commission.The European interior ministers also held an online discussion with their Ukrainian counterpart Igor Klimenko. Johansson hailed the unprecedented courage and determination of Ukrainians to fight to protect their "sovereignty, freedom and country, but also to protect us and our values".Ukrainians are so strong and devoted and their sacrifice is incredible, but we have to make sure we stand with Ukraine and the Ukrainians, and I'm glad that a few weeks ago we agreed on $50 billion in aid for Kiev, emphasized the representative of the EU executive.The second day of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, Tuesday, is reserved for the Justice component, with several legislative files of interest on the agenda, such as a debate on the definition of the crime of smuggling, the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime, an emphasis on improving judicial cooperation and a discussion about the resistance of judicial systems against the threats represented by organized crime.Also, the ministers of justice are going to approve a series of conclusions regarding the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which will focus on promoting trust through effective legal protection and access to justice.