Bulgaria's PM 'Tables Renewed Eurozone, Schengen Talks' to Juncker

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has reportedly sent a letter to EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, bringing up again the issues of his country's entry into the Eurozone and the Schengen borderless area, daily 24 Chasa has said.

Sofia should also have the monitoring under the so-called Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM), applied by Brussles, dropped, the newspaper adds, citing the letter of which it claims to have a copy.

"I know we will continue to work on the CVM, Bulgaria's acceptance in the Schengen agreement and the already ongoing talks for joining the Eurozone. Only when we bring these three processes to an end will Bulgarian citizens be able to enjoy all benefits, but also share all responsibilities for EU membership," Borisov is quoted as telling Juncker.

The address used by the Bulgarian head of government is "Dear Jean-Claude", with Borisov reminding Juncker that he personally took on a commitment to boost border protection.

Juncker backed in principle an end to the CVM monitoring on Bulgaria's judiciary and fight against corruption earlier this year, saying it should take place during his term of office.

But he also gave clear indications the step would be applied to neighboring Romania first, with Bulgaria still having to show progress.

Borisov has insisted Bulgaria fulfilled all Schengen criteria back in 2011. Several countries such as Finland and the Netherlands, however, have blocked the country's accession for years.

In the summer, the Prime Minister said Schengen was not of immediate interest for his country as of the moment.

The letter is officially intended as an act of gratitude for the Commission's decision to launch the European Border and Coast Guard (EBCG) from Bulgaria last week.

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