Romania, Bulgaria Must Press on Way to Schengen - Study

Image of the Schengen Area (dark blue for EU members and purple for non-EU members) by Wikipedia.

Romania and Bulgaria are doing well but still have to do more on their way to fulfill requirements to enter the Schengen Area, according to a report produced by Romanian think-thank Centre for European Policies.

The "political situation" in the EU is pointed out among the main factors that might obstruct the two neighboring countries countries' accession.

The report - focusing on Romania's progress - points out that the country is still under criticism on the part of the EU regarding organized crime and corruption and is placed, with fellow newcomer Bulgaria under the so-called Co-operation and Verification Mechanism.

The report also reminds of the volatile situation of Roma integration in the two countries in the wake of ousting of Roma from France.

The issues of organized crime and Roma integration are nevertheless not formally and officially linked to criteria for Schengen accession.

The Centre for European Policies study also focuses on the measure that Romania has and will have to implement to satisfy requirements, pointing out several of them might not meet the March 2011 deadline set by Romanian authorities - just 4 out of 31.

They are: the terminatio of "small traffic" agreements with non-Schengen countries, the operationalization of information on airport passengers, separating the fluxes of intra- and extra-Schengen passengers, and harmonization of Romanian legislation on foreigners with Schengen requirements.

The report advises Romanian authorities to press hard at work in order to duly fulfill in time all technical requirements and not to expect a favorable political climate like the one around accession in 2007.

In commenting on the document, Euractiv remarks on the similar report produced for Bulgaria by the Open Society Institute, which has also found out that some of Bulgaria's measures have not been implemented in time.

Nevertheless, it must be pointed out that the Bulgarian authorities had set internal deadlines for specific measures earlier than March 2011 and that the report views it as very likely that Bulgaria will meet all criteria by then.

Bulgaria and Romania, being neighboring member states, are expected to accede to Schengen at the same time, for this will render more effective guarding of Schengen's external borders.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!