Is Romania to blame for the delay of Bulgaria in the Schengen accession

According to two German politicians from the conservative party, Romania is to be blamed for the delay of the accession of Romania and Bulgaria in the Schengen zone. The vice chairman of the European People Party Manfred Weber opposed his own government and the official position of the European Commission. He congratulated Bulgaria for the progress it had made and blamed Romania for the blocking of the membership of the two countries. He stated at a public event held in Brussels that the two countries are always coming as a package, which should not be so.

The European Commission has stated that Bulgaria and Romania are ready to enter into the Schengen zone. However, thanks to several of the member states their accession was postponed based on the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. Even so, the European Commission finds this mechanism inappropriate in order to judge the readiness of Bulgaria and Romania to enter the border free Schengen zone.