Cyprus’ Schengen accession absent from EU justice ministers’ agenda

Luxembourg, Luxembourg. Cyprus’ accession to the Schengen zone is not on the agenda for Thursday’s meeting of the Council of the European Union’s justice and home affairs council, according to reports on Tuesday. The omission comes despite the European Commission’s positive assessment of the island’s readiness to join.

Meeting agenda

The Cyprus News Agency reported that editors in Brussels were briefed that officials were fully aware of the ongoing work on Cyprus’ accession, but that the issue had not been included on this meeting’s agenda.

Ministers from the 25 countries that belong to both the EU and the Schengen zone are instead expected to discuss issues including visas issued to Russian citizens. The discussion follows a drone attack at Germany’s Leipzig airport last month; the German government believes the perpetrator was a Russian national.

Accession decision

President Nikos Christodoulides said earlier this month that he wanted Cyprus to join the border-free zone “as soon as possible”. He said the government was working with member states and the Commission to secure the political decision.

Commission spokesman Markus Lammert said in July that, following the Commission’s assessment, the decision on when and how Cyprus joins rests with the Council. He said full accession would strengthen the shared rules, standards and responsibilities underpinning Schengen cooperation.

Admission requires a unanimous decision by the 25 Schengen countries that are also EU members. Cyprus and Ireland are the only EU members outside the zone. Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, which belong to Schengen but not the EU, take part in discussions but do not vote.

The Cyprus Mail has been informed that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has personally been one of the main driving forces behind the push for Cyprus to join.