Bulgaria says it has ‘serious support’ for full Schengen membership – but Austria is still blocking
Bulgaria’s caretaker Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov claimed on October 10 that the country received “extremely serious support” when EU ministers discussed the state of replay regarding Bulgaria, Romania and full membership of the Schengen visa zone.
However, the same day, Austrian news website Kurier quoted the country’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, who was attending the EU Justice and Home Affairs council meeting, as saying that he did not think the time is yet ripe for Romania and Bulgaria to be admitted to Schengen.
“We are on the right path, but not at the end of the path, Karner said.
The agenda of the October 10 meeting included a discussion, but not a vote, regarding full Schengen membership for Bulgaria and Romania.
On December 30 2023, the Council of the EU decided to lift air and maritime border controls with Bulgaria and Romania as of March 31 2024.
Setting the date of the lifting of checks at internal land borders with Bulgaria and Romania requires a further Council decision.
Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry quoted Ilkov as saying that he expected that the long-awaited decision on admission of Bulgaria and Romania to full Schengen membership would come soon.
“It will come on the basis of many efforts and excellent co-operation with the Romanian side to guarantee a high level of security in the Schengen area,” the statement quoted Ilkov as saying.
According to Ilkov “at this stage Austria still does not have a definite position”.
“There are no additional requirements for us. Bulgaria exceeds the conditions for full membership”.
Ilkov cited what he called the many measures taken by the Ministry of the Interior – increasing the capacity of the Border Police, including in terms of technical equipment, strengthening the countermeasures against organised criminal groups involved in illegal trafficking, deepening interaction with Romania, Austria and all other European countries, “and the strategic co-operation with Türkiye is a particularly important element of the overall activity”.
(Photo: VOA)
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