Bulgaria, Romania's Schengen Bid Falls Prey to Domestic Politics in EU - MP

Dobroslav Dimitrov, chair of the Bulgarian Parliament Foreign Policy Committee. Photo by BGNES

Key Western European states are toying with the rejection of Bulgaria and Romania aspirations to join the visa-free Schengen Area for domestic political purposes, according to Dobroslav Dimitrov, head of the Foreign Policy Committee in the Bulgarian Parliament.

Dimitrov spoke to the Bulgarian National Radio Saturday, after late Friday night the Dutch government decided it will veto Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen accession in 2011, and will prevent any decision by the Council of the EU on the Balkan countries' applications by 2012.

The position of the governments of Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland is said to be similar to that of the Netherlands.

"I think that Bulgaria and Romania are used to calm down internal problems [in these states] that have nothing to do with the situation," Dimitrov declared Saturday.

"Unfortunately, in Western Europe, there is a serious growth of euroscepticism which hampers many of the newer states to be accepted in more welcoming manner. I don't think that this is the right approach, and I hope that they will realize that at the end of the day it is not helping," he added.

Dimitrov continued by criticizing the attitude towards Bulgaria because it is coping with certain issues better than many EU member states.

"Bulgaria absolutely cannot remain to be this clich? with which people are used to talking about it. This is because there are serious issues in Europe, with which Bulgaria is coping better than some of the old member states – such as the debt crises, and fiscal discipline," the MP from the ruling center-right party GERB said.

He reminded that the European Parliament endorsed three months ago a report confirming Bulgaria and Romania's technical readiness to join the Schengen Area.

Dimitrov, however, remains optimistic, saying that until a final decision has been made by the 25 Schengen member states on Bulgaria and Romania's bid, there is a chance to reverse the negative position because "Bulgaria achieved enormous progress."

"This is recognized by all of our partners, and they see we're going in the right direction. The question is if they can take this decision without suffering politically at home. This is about a matter of principle on whether there will be double standards in the EU. Bulgaria has met the requirements and we will not accept such attitude. But let's not talk in the past tense, let's wait for the meeting on September 22," he stated.

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