The justice and internal ministers from all EU countries met March 7 in Brussels to discuss, among other things, Bulgaria and Romania's possible accession to the Schengen zone. Resistance from several Western and Northern European countries previously delayed a vote on the matter, and in light of Bulgaria's political paralysis and upcoming elections in Germany, the European Union has delayed the decision once again. Twenty-two EU countries plus Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland are members of the Schengen zone, where the abolishing of border controls facilitates economic integration across Europe by easing the transit of goods and people. In 2011, the European Parliament cleared the way for Romania and Bulgaria to become members, but Schengen members must approve new memberships unanimously. Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Finland, Denmark and Austria reportedly oppose Romania and Bulgaria's Schengen membership, stating that neither candidate country has made sufficient progress in reforming its judicial system and fighting corruption and organized crime. Moreover, there is a fear that non-EU migrants will be able to enter the Schengen area more easily through Romania or Bulgaria because of weak border control. Most countries in Northern and Western Europe have aging and declining populations and therefore need to import labor to maintain a stable workforce and pension system, but they face a difficult situation in the coming years. They must try to balance between attracting immigrant laborers and calming voters who feel that a lax migration policy is eroding social security, and the tension over Bulgaria and Romania's accession to the Schengen zone is part of that dilemma.
