Hungary Still Throws Weight Behind Bulgaria, Romania's Schengen Bid

Hungary will do everything possible to facilitate Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen entry during its EU presidency.

This was stated on Monday by Hungary's Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi who is on a visit to France on an official ceremony dedicated to the start of the Hungarian Presidency.

"We have a priority and that is the Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen Agreement accession," Martonyi has said, thus reinstating Hungary's position.

"The Hungarian Presidency's current position requires diplomatic agility," the Hungarian Foreign Minister admitted.

He has pointed out that, according to the European Commission, Romania has covered the technical criteria for its Schengen entry and that Bulgaria faces "some problems".

"We insist on this priority, because we have made a promise to our Bulgarian and Romanian friends," Martonyi has declared.

He said that before Laurent Wauquiez, French Secretary of State for European Affairs, who stated last Thursday that constituting Schengen's external border is a vast responsibility which France doubts Bulgaria and Romania are capable of taking at the present moment.

In December, France together with Germany vowed to veto the entry of Bulgaria and Romania based on concerns that relate not to the legally mandated criteria, but rather to issues with corruption and crime that are dealt with by the so-called Co-operation and Verification Mechanism set up for the two EU newcomers

However, at the end of December, the European Commission confirmed its position against tying Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen zone entry with additional clauses and with the post-accession progress monitoring.

Last Friday, it was reported that there is no chance of Bulgaria joining the Schengen zone at the end of March as previously announced because the report assessing control over the common border with Turkey is negative. EU diplomats were quoted saying that about 10 European countries, not just France and Germany oppose Bulgaria's and Romania's Schengen entry.

The decision for the postponement is expected to be made during the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers on February 24.

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