Bulgaria Says Ready to Join Schengen Right Now

A Bulgarian border policeman checks the levels of carbon dioxide in a truck at Kapitan Andreevo border crossing point between Bulgaria and Turkey some 300km from Sofia, 11 February 2011. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Bulgaria's government, which is struggling to ensure swift entry into the EU border-free Schengen area, has reiterated the country has met all conditions for accession.

"Bulgaria and Romania have met all the conditions to gain Schengen rights," the Bulgarian government said in a statement on Wednesday as the European Parliament gave the green light to its accession.

"We have introduced the best practices investing enormous amount of energy and significant financial resources," it said.

According to the government any delays in welcoming the country to the border-free zone would set a precedent in the history of Schengen enlargements.

The European Parliament gave almost unanimously its green light for Bulgaria and Romania to join the Schengen border check-free area.

The two countries have met the entry conditions, based on Commission progress reports, the MEPs said on Wednesday, but added that Parliament should be kept informed of additional measures taken in the Bulgaria-Turkey-Greece area to cope with a possible surge in migration pressure.

After considering progress reports on the two Member States and the findings of expert follow-up teams, MEPs concluded that although some remaining issues will require regular reporting and further attention in the future, they do not constitute an obstacle to full Schengen membership for Bulgaria and Romania.

Bulgaria and Romania, which have been coupled ever since their joint accession to the European Union in 2007, failed to enter the border-less zone in March this year, although claiming that all requirements for it had been met.

The next deadline to be set for Bulgaria is expected to be November this year.

Bulgarian experts are unanimous that the country meets the technical requirements. The real problem rather seems to be the threat of information leakages and Greece's porous border with Turkey.

Analysts say the reluctance of France, The Netherlands, Germany and Austria to let the Balkan country join the Agreement in 2011 is both because of domestic politics and because they really believe the entry into Schengen will be premature, just as the EU entry.

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