French Foreign Minister Snubs Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen Accession
Bulgaria in EU | September 30, 2013, Monday // 13:29| views
French PM Laurent Fabius. Photo by EPA/BGNES
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has expressed his country's reluctance to accept Bulgaria and Romania in Schengen area.
According to Fabius, Bulgaria and Romania's border security measures are not at the desired level for accession into the free movement area.
The European Union has laid out a deadline of January 1, 2014, for all member states to lift their restrictions on Bulgaria and Romania.
Fabius' comments come amidst heated debates in French Parliament on the topic of Bulgarian and Romanian Roma residing in France. Last week, Interior Minister Manuel Valls caused controversy with his comments that France should extradite Roma living in illegal camps, since there is no way they can be successfully integrated.
France has deported over 13 000 Roma back to their countries during 2013.
Romania's PM Victor Ponta criticized the recent comments as a part of populist rhetoric prior to local elections.
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