Bulgaria, Romania to Be Turned Down for Schengen - Report

The Netherlands is going to make sure Bulgaria and Romania don't see a decision on their Schengen fate until 2012. Map from moveoneinc.com

The applications of Bulgaria and Romania to join the visa-free Schengen Area will be turned down by the EU/Schengen Interior Ministers on Thursday, September 22, according to diplomatic sources.

After the Netherlands formally decided to veto Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen accession at the end of last week, and Finland did so on Wednesday, diplomatic sources have been cited by international media as confirming that the two Balkan states will be turned down at the sitting of the EU Interior Ministers on September 22, 2011.

This development is expected in spite of Bulgaria and Romania's hopes and the outstanding efforts of the Polish EU Presidency that the two countries should be granted at least “partial” or “two-phased” Schengen accession – i.e. accession with respect to sea and air travel only for the time being.

The representatives of the Netherlands and Finland are said to explain formally their decisions to veto Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen accession during the Interior Ministers' meeting in Brussels on Thursday, the reports say. Their opposition to the expansion of the 25-member Schengen Agreement is largely based on pressure from their parliaments.

The Polish EU Presidency is quoted as saying that Poland will do everything possible in order to find a solution about Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen fate before the summit of the EU 27 state leaders, i.e. the European Council, scheduled for October 17-18, 2011.

Bulgaria and Romania were originally expected to join the Schengen Area in March 2011 but their accession has been put off for an unknown period of time, primarily because of political opposition by key EU states focusing on their rule of law situations.

It is a common perception that both Bulgaria and Romania have fulfilled the technical requirements for Schengen accession, but their entry has been opposed on the grounds of what other members claim to be persisting problems with corruption and organized crime.

Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland have been known to share the Dutch misgivings but the Netherlands appears to have become provided the most categorical "no" to Bulgaria and Romania in Schengen ahead of the much-anticipated September 22, 2011, ministerial in Brussels.

Bulgaria has already threatened “counter-measures” if its Schengen application is treated “unfairly”, which boil down to “reconsidering” its support for the Schengen reform legislation.

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