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Removal of checks on persons at the internal borders;
A common set of rules applying to people crossing the
external borders of the EU Member States;
Harmonization of the conditions of entry and of the
rules on visas for short stays;
Enhanced police cooperation (including rights of crossborder surveillance and hot pursuit);
Stronger judicial cooperation through a faster
extradition system and transfer of enforcement of
criminal judgments;
Establishment and development of the Schengen
Information System (SIS) = allows national border
control and judicial authorities to obtain information
on persons or objects.
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European citizens have the right to enter, reside and remain in the territory of
any other Member State for a period of up to three months simply by presenting
a valid passport or national identity card: no other formality is required. If they
intend to remain for a period exceeding three months, a residence permit must be
obtained. The conditions for granting a residence permit depend on the status of
the citizen (employed or self-employed person, student, retired or inactive person).
Any EU citizen can take up an economic activity in another Member State either
as an employed or self-employed person. In this case, he/she will be issued a
residence permit by simply presenting an identity document (passport or ID) and
proof of employment or self-employment.
If a citizen wants to reside in another Member State without exercising any
activity or to study, he/she can do so provided he/she can prove (and in the case
of students, declare) that he/she has sufficient financial resources not to become
a burden for the host Member State's social assistance system and that he/she is
covered by a sickness insurance policy. He/she must also prove that he/she has
sufficient financial resources and sickness insurance for each member of his/her
family who is entitled to reside with him/her.
Family members, irrespective of their nationality, have the right to accompany and
establish themselves with a European citizen who is residing in the territory of
another Member State. Family members who can enjoy rights under Community
law include the spouse, minor (under 21) or dependent children, and dependent
ascendants, though in the case of students only the spouse and dependent children
enjoy this right. If the family members are not EU citizens, they may be required to
hold an entry visa by the Member State where they intend accompany the EU
citizen. They shall be granted this visa free of charge and with all facilities by that
Member State.
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Both countries are members of EU (since 2007) but
not yet members of Schengen Agreement
Under the 2004 EU Directive of Free movement
citizens of Romania and Bulgaria have right to
move freely throughout Europe
Their citizens have the right to enter France but
they must have work or residency permits as per
the 2004 Directive
Nine other EU states also have similar restrictions
Most non-French Roma are considered by French
officials to be in France illegally
2014 – Complete freedom of movement for
Romania and Bulgaria
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Source of illegal trafficking
Profoundly shocking living standards
Exploitation of children for begging
Prostitution
Crime
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16 July – French police shoot and kill a 22 year old French Roma (Luigi Duquenet) because he drove through a
checkpoint
18 July – Dozens of French Roma attack a police station, burn cars, hack down trees and pillage shops in Saint
Aignan (Loire Valley)
Nicolas Sarkozy calls an emergency ministerial meeting and it is decided to dismantle 300 illegal camps and
squats within 3 months
28 July - Decision is taken to evict non-French Roma (mainly Romanians & Bulgarians) from France providing
them with 300 Euros and a free flight out of the country
5 August – French Government directive from Hortefeux to Police chiefs declaring, among other things, that
“The President of the Republic fixed precise objectives on July 28 for the evacuation of illicit camps: 300 camps
or illicit implantation must be evacuated in 3 months, in priority those of the Roma”
31 August – French Immigration Minister, Eric Besson and EU counterpart Pierre Lellouche meet with EU
commissioners Viviane Reding and Cecilia Malstreom
Lellouche points out that 4-billion-euro yearly net EU contribution to Romania, "not more than 80 million"
were being spent on Roma-targeted social schemes
4 September – Demonstrations in France in defense of human rights and against Sarkozy’s policy
6 September – European Roma Rights Centre files appeal against deportation of Roma from Denmark
14 September - EU Commissioner, Viviane Reding compares the Sarkozy government’s deportation of the
Roma to deportations under the Vichy, during German occupation of France (1940-44)
17 September – European leaders disavow Reding’s statement; she then declares that the comparison was not
apt
18 September – 1000 foreign Roma already expelled
27 September – Bulgarian Minister of the Interior makes a huge gaffe by declaring that Roma communities are
incubators for crime
29 September – The European Commission decide to start legal action against France for non-compliance of EU
rules regarding free movement of EU citizens. However, the EU stopped short of accusing France of
discrimination
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Nicolas Sarkozy (French president)
Brice Hortefeux (French Minister of the
Interior)
Bernard Kouchner (French Minister of Foreign
and European Affairs)
José Manuel Barroso (President of the
European Commission)
Viviane Reding (EU Commissioner for Justice)
Tsvetan Tsvetanov (Bulgarian Minister of
Interior)