Centre-right European political group the European People’s Party on Thursday called for the “timely completion” of Cyprus’ accession to Europe’s border-free Schengen zone at the conclusion of its summit of heads of government and political parties belonging to the group.
“We welcome the positive outcome of the [European Commission’s] evaluation report on Cyprus’ bid to fully join Schengen and the opening of the relevant discussion in the Council [of the European Union]. We support the timely completion of the remaining steps as a set priority,” it said.
Migration Deputy Minister Nicholas Ioannides had said at the weekend that now expects Cyprus to accede to the Schengen zone next year, though the government had initially hoped that it would be able to complete its accession process by this year at the latest.
President Nikos Christodoulides, who was present at Thursday’s EPP summit, had said in May last year that “I assure you that by the end of 2025, we will complete all the technicalities we need to ensure that our country will be in the Schengen zone in 2026”.
However, despite the commission having set out its stall in favour of Cyprus’ accession and the Cyprus Mail being informed the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has personally been one of the main driving forces behind the push, member states appear to remain unconvinced by the prospect.
“For years and years, the view across Europe was that Cyprus can never join the Schengen zone without the Cyprus problem being solved. Now, however, von der Leyen has told each member state that Cyprus must join the Schengen zone, and that they must acquiesce to it,” one diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said.
Concerns raised over Schengen impact on crossing points
However, some have expressed reservations about the feasibility of the plans for Cyprus’ to join the Schengen zone and the impact it may have on the Cyprus problem.
This is in part because many believe that the Cypriot government’s insistence that the Schengen zone’s new digital entry/exit system will not be implemented at the nine crossing points which connect the island’s two sides will not be possible in reality.
As such, Cyprus would likely be required to either effectively turn the Green Line into a hard border or have Europe face an administrative breakdown in the tracking of people entering and leaving the Schengen zone.
In light of this, the Council of the EU’s justice and home affairs (JHA) council elected not to include the matter of Cyprus’ potential accession to the Schengen zone on its agenda when it most recently met at the beginning of this month
Nonetheless, Ioannides said at that summit that the Cypriot government is “working tirelessly in order to meet the criteria and become a member of the Schengen area”.
Cyprus is one of just two EU member states which remain outside the Schengen zone, with Ireland, the other, electing not to fully join the zone so as to not prejudice its common travel agreement with the United Kingdom, which is outside the EU, the Schengen zone, the European single market, and the European customs union.