The first evaluation of Romania as a full Schengen member confirms the country's professional profile and openness to constructive dialogue in implementing the required measures, Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu said on Friday.
The official met on Friday with a European Commission delegation led by Olivier Onidi, the EU's Schengen Coordinator, who is on a working visit to Romania.
"This visit takes place amid the strategic dialogue following Romania's first periodic Schengen evaluation in September - October 2025, aimed at better coordinating subsequent monitoring before the European Commission adopts its report," the Ministry of the Interior said in a release.
During the discussion, Olivier Onidi highlighted the very good level of implementation of the Schengen acquis in Romania, the open and constructive attitude of the Romanian authorities throughout the evaluation process, which reconfirms Romania as a reliable partner that not only correctly implements the Schengen acquis but also actively contributes to its functioning, in particular through the national pool of experts for Schengen evaluations, positioning it in first place among the member states.
Onidi also dwelled on the large number of best practices identified in the evaluation, in particular the Schengen Governance mechanism and the quality control mechanism in Romania, but also on the highly appreciated situation of the absence of non-compliant findings in the areas of border management and return.
The Romanian minister of the Interior pointed out that, like all the other member states, Romania too is facing a shortage of human resources and is addressing this issue with all seriousness, as well as the continuous improvement of the use of available European instruments.
Another topic discussed concerned the stage of implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, which is directly linked to the national Schengen Governance mechanism, with the full use of available European funds.
"At the end of the meeting, the Romanian side's commitment to the full and comprehensive implementation of all obligations assumed as a member state was reiterated, for the benefit of the functioning of the common area without internal border controls," the cited source shows.
The Schengen Coordinator expressed the European Commission's full openness to dialogue and its support for the implementation process.
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