Von der Leyen in State of Union address: "Bulgaria and Romania deserve to be part of the Schengen Area

Bulgaria and Romania deserve to be part of the Schengen area, European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, said during her annual State of the Union speech on September 13.

"We have reinforced border surveillance. European agencies have deepened their cooperation with member states. Let me thank particularly Bulgaria and Romania for leading the way and showcasing best practice on both asylums and on returns. They have proved it - Bulgaria and Romania are part of our Schengen area. So let us finally bring them in - without further delays."

Migration should be managed, but this requires patience, long-term efforts and above all unity within the EU, von der Leyen stressed.

"We should keep the balance between border protection, between sovereignty and security, between security and humanity. We have listened to all member states, we have examined all migration flows. We have also reacted swiftly and unitedly to the hybrid attack by Belarus, worked closely with partners in the Western Balkans and reduced illegal migration flows."

The State of the Union speech is a key event at the start of every new political season in Europe. The State of the Union debate demonstrates the European Commission's accountability to the EU's democratically elected representatives and helps build a more transparent and democratic Union.