Bulgaria and Romania: Schengen area accession should not be connected with Roma population

France has issues with the Roma population from Romania and Bulgaria, who have moved in the country and are not making efforts to integrate there. This however should have no connection with whether or not Romania and Bulgaria are ready to access the Schengen area. The two countries state that the French authorities should stop using their problems with the Roma population as an excuse and a reason to reject the two countries an entry to the visa free Schengen area. Bulgaria and Romania consider this type of politics as an election campaign lead to serve local issues.

Romania and Bulgaria are looking towards a membership in the Schengen area, however the two countries have been facing a strong opposition from France and the Netherlands. Even so, according to the European Commission the two countries are ready to become members of the passport free borderless zone of Schengen. According to the Bulgarian president, the delay in admittance of the country into Schengen zone is a politically motivated fact. The President confirmed once again that Bulgaria and Romania are technically ready to become members as they have been working on their borders and have been very efficient in their results. Bulgaria has already invested great funds on guarding the Schengen border and thus the country is expecting solidarity from the other countries in Europe.