Gunther Krichbaum: Romania meets technical criteria for Schengen, but there are border guards who accept benefits

The President of the European Affairs Committee of the Bundestag Gunther Krichbaum said on Friday that Romania meets the technical criteria for Schengen accession, but wondered how useful is a border better secured from the technical point of view if there may be border guards who, in exchange for money, could let coaches with refugees cross the border.
“In principle, Romania’s position on this issue is not wrong. It was said that as long as the technical criteria are met, Romania should be allowed to join the Schegen area. (…) What profit is a border technically secure, flawless, if there may be border guards who, in exchange for benefits, for money, let go, say , coaches with (…) refugees?” Krichbaum said during a press conference in Bucharest.
He explained that Schengen is a space of freedom, security. “We, at the European Commission, must ask ourselves if the fight against corruption is so advanced that we can give the green light to the accession process,” the German official said.

I didn’t request a meeting with Victor Ponta, he is prosecuted

Gunther Krichbaum said that during the official visit made in Romania he met with representatives of several institutions in Romania, including President Klaus Iohannis, but did not request a meeting with Prime Minister Victor Ponta, as he believes that Ponta should talk to ‘other institutions’, given that he is prosecuted, Agerpres informs.
The German official said that during the talks in Romania on several occasions the situation of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) was brought up, a context in which the German MP noted that there is an intention from the European Commission to eliminate this monitoring tool.
“All those reported so far explain why I didn’t request a meeting with Prime Minister Victor Ponta, because we think he should talk with other people and institutions. He was indicted and I remind you a fact that actually happened in Germany: former Federal President Christian Wulff stepped down before being indicted, when the criminal investigations were announced,” Gunther Krichbaum said. He recalled that, in the end, Christian Wulff was acquitted, adding that in Victor Ponta’s situation justice must have the space needed to examine the case ‘without any reservations’.
Gunther Krichbaum, said further on that he regards with ‘scepticism’ the fact that taxes are cut in Romania, but the country fails to access in a ‘satisfactory’ way the European funds, so that by the end of the year, the country could lose EUR 6.6 billion.
A delegation of the European Affairs Committee with the German Bundestag is paying a visit to Bucharest during October 28-30, for political talks. The delegation is headed by Chairman of the Committee, MP Gunther Krichbaum. The delegation also includes the committee’s Vice president MP Heinz-Joachim Barchmann and MPs Iris Eberl and Detlef Muller.