Dutch ambassador: Four fifths of Parliament believe Schengen approval depends on MCV

The ambassador of the Netherlands, Matthijs van Bonzel, has said that four fifths of the MPs in The Hague consider two consecutive reports on the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism (MCV) necessary to indicate that Romania and Bulgaria are ready for accession to Schengen

May 2012 - From the Print Edition

Asked how he responded to Romanian officials who attributed the Dutch government’s opposition to the Balkan duo’s accession to the internal political situation in the Netherlands, the diplomat said: “If you look at the situation in Parliament, we have a large majority supporting this line, that we need a positive MCV report to be able to say yes to Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen. There is a large majority of lawmakers – I believe that four fifths of MPs support the government’s position in this case, namely that two consecutive reports on the MCV are needed to indicate that Romania and Bulgaria are ready to join Schengen. So it is not only a matter of support from the government coalition, it is beyond the coalition. We must, as a government, convince ourselves and then go to Parliament and persuade Parliament.”
The ambassador also explained the procedure to be followed in The Hague to establish a position on the issue. “We have the MCV report in July. On this basis, the government will draw up a written position that we will present to Parliament. Our Parliament gives our government a mandate before the JAI Council in September and therefore our government will be supported by our Parliament when it goes to Brussels and says yes or no,” he said.