The Netherlands is not against Romania’s accession to Schengen, in principle, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said, according to Agerpres.

He paid a visit to the Getica National Joint Training Center in Cincu, central Brasov County, together with President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca.

Romania has taken many steps in the right direction in recent years. At the same time, we say that we can talk about accession to Schengen when all the conditions are met. We also have a monitoring mechanism, we also have a Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. The next steps will come, we have to see what follows in this procedure and, after that, we will talk further, but the Netherlands is not in principle against Romania’s accession to Schengen, said the Prime Minister of the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, according to the official translation.

He spoke about the importance of a „structurally better” rule of law in this process.

The Netherlands is not opposed to Romania’s accession to Schengen, but we must do it in a transparent and fair manner, that’s why I mentioned CVM, we must have enough positive steps and we must have a better structural rule of law. Many steps were being made. What needs to be established now, within the CVM (is, ed. n.) about corruption, about organized crime,” Rutte said.

He gave assurances that the procedures in this context will not take „longer than necessary”.

We are working, from my point of view, in connection with Schengen, the Schengen information system. The European Commission has started the procedures regarding this. I think that the mission could be wider, the evaluation mission could be deeper, but there too we are waiting for the results and I don’t know when they will come. We have to ask and after that we can only give an answer, so I can’t give you a deadline, said the Dutch Prime Minister.

Agerpres