PM Borisov Insists Bulgaria Rightfully Belongs in Schengen

Politics » BULGARIA IN EU | September 21, 2011, Wednesday // 17:00
Bulgaria: PM Borisov Insists Bulgaria Rightfully Belongs in Schengen Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has said that "all of Europe is aware that Bulgaria meets Schengen membership requirements". Photo by BGNES

Commenting on Finland's alleged unwillingness to back Bulgaria's Schengen bid, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has asserted that the country meets 100% of EU's accession requirements.

In a Wednesday statement, Borisov said that it was common knowledge in Europe that Bulgaria complied with Schengen membership requirements.

He also made it clear that he would support the stance of the Polish EU Presidency.

In the beginning of September, Poland's Interior Minister Jerzy Miller said that he was a great optimist and that there were no reasons to delay Bulgaria and Romania's accession to Schengen.

"Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk fought heart and soul for Bulgaria and Romania, because it would set a precedent for Europe", Borisov noted.

He also revealed that he had advised all ministers against commenting on the topic before the September 22 meeting of the Council of EU Interior Ministers was over.

Borisov expressed optimism about the outcome of the Thursday event.

Asked to elaborate on Dutch plans to veto Bulgaria's Schengen accession, Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov said Tuesday that the key condition set for candidate countries was to meet technical criteria.

Bulgaria and Romania had ensured compliance with the technical criteria and it was time to take the the political decision, Tsvetanov added.

The Netherlands and Finland have opposed Bulgaria's Schengen bid on the grounds of problems with corruption and insufficient progress under the cooperation and verification mechanism (CVM) in the sphere of justice.

After failing to join the Schengen Area by March 2011, Bulgaria and Romania have been awaiting the meeting of the Council of the EU on September 22 to receive a decision on their Schengen fate.

The EU's latest members, who joined in 2007, have had their Schengen accession blocked by a number of older member states, such as EU juggernauts France and Germany.

Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland have been known to share the Dutch misgivings but the Netherlands appears to have become provided the most categorical "no" to Bulgaria and Romania in Schengen prior to the much-anticipated September 22, 2011 meeting in Brussels.

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Tags: Boyko Borisov, Schengen, Schengen Accession, Schengen Area, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, cooperation and verification mechanism, Jerzy miller, Polish EU Presidency

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