Romania Demands Schengen Fairplay

Bulgaria in EU | January 10, 2011, Monday // 18:01|  views

Romania's Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi. Photo by BGNES

Romania has called for a fair assessment of the country's bid to join Europe's Schengen Agreement, urging France and Germany not to change the rules in the middle of the game.

This was declared by Romania's Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi on Monday.

"It would be unfair to accept that two states, no matter which, could set a precedent by changing the rules of the game," Baconschi said in an interview with the daily Adevarul.

In the beginning of January, Baconschi statedd that Romania could leave the EU Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, as the Balkan country's Foreign Minister has stated it is a tool used by Western European states to pressure it.

"This mechanism is becoming a handicap ... or a pretext for pressuring the two countries in other fields", Baconschi commented on Monday."We'll have to decide whether it is worthwhile going ahead with this mechanism or whether we should denounce it unilaterally."

The Romanian Foreign Minister has warned that Romania could use the same argument when the 27 EU members are called upon to decide upon Croatia joining the bloc.

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

On Monday, Hungary's Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi pointed out that, according to the European Commission, Romania has covered the technical criteria for its Schengen entry and that Bulgaria faces "some problems".

Romanian officials, including Baconschi, have already stated that Bulgaria drags Romania down on its way to Schengen.

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


Tags: Romania, Foreign Minister, Teodor Baconschi, Hungary, Bulgaria, Schengen, france germany

Back  

» Related Articles:

Search

Search