Interior Minister Gerhard Karner reiterated on August 23 Austria's opposition to fellow European Union member Romania joining the visa-free Schengen Zone, g4media reported. "Our position is that the Schengen system as a whole is dysfunctional and that's why we are not open to its enlargement," Karner said after talks in Vienna with his Romanian counterpart, Catalin Predoiu. Admission to Schengen requires unanimity among EU members. Austria has cited concerns about illegal migration. Romania, which has secured support from the other 25 EU members, has rejected Austria's claims, arguing its border-protection system met Schengen standards more than a decade ago.
