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The Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov recently said that Bulgaria and Romania have successfully met all technical requirements that were asked for by the Schengen authorities and thus they should join the Schengen area together. In an interview for FOCUS News Agency, the Prime Minister stated that there should be no more delays and new requirements ahead of the two countries which are waiting to become members of the Schengen zone for quite some time now.

According to the Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov, Bulgaria keeps on making efforts for integration of the newest visa information technologies in order to improve the conditions for visa. The consulate representations make efforts for the efficiency of the visa regime and for providing security of the internal borders of the union. The countries that are still showing reservations towards Bulgaria being accepted in the Schengen travel free zone are Germany and France, Belgium and Finland, as well as the Netherlands.

The Deputy Prime Minister for European Policy Coordination and Institutional Affairs recently stated that the judicial reform, as well as the positive results under the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification, as well as the Schengen accession should be accepted as benefits for the Bulgarian economy. This was discussed on a meeting which Meglena Kuneva held with Jonathan Allen, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Bulgaria.

As a Deputy Prime Minister, Meglena Kuneva marked the priorities of the new government. According to the program, the government has plans for reforms in major sectors. Once these reforms become reality, Bulgaria can expect a positive report from the European Commission based on the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification, followed by acceptance in the Schengen travel free zone. The Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union is expected in 2018.

Meglena Kuneva, the Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister, warned the local authorities that the forthcoming report by the European Union Commission on justice and on internal affairs is not going to be positive. This document is prepared on a yearly basis and is done under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. That mechanism was established especially for Romania and Bulgaria for their entry into the European Union in 2007.

According to Kuneva, that report shall not be favorable for Bulgaria, especially when compared to the report for Romania. This will be so as Bulgaria has not marked a progress compared to the previous report. At the same time Romania expects a second positive report, marking its progression. Bulgaria receives bad reports due to the delay of the political measures. Kuneva hopes that the next Cooperation and Verification Mechanism report will be positive once the country elects a Chair of the Supreme Court of Cassation, as well as a Chief Inspector at the Inspectorate of Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council. According to her a judicial reform is of great importance for the country to have better chance to be accepted at the travel free Schengen zone.

Kuneva further said that the Justice Minister and the Interior Minister are determined to restore the bid of Bulgaria for Schengen accession and make that their priority. In order to become part of the Schengen area with no border control, Bulgaria has to be prepared in terms of border security, visas, protection of personal data and police cooperation.

The Deputy Prime Minister at the European Policy and Institutional Matters, Meglena Kuneva, informed the Ambassador of Romania in Bulgaria that the Schengen area accession of Bulgaria and Romania is a target that is achievable for the two countries. According to the press office of the Bulgarian government, among the first visits abroad of Mrs. Kuneva would be to Bucharest where the Deputy Prime Minister will discuss the Schengen bids of Bulgaria and Romania with various representatives of the Romanian government.

Meglena Kuneva stated that in order for good results to be achieved under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism was among the main priorities of the new Bulgarian government. The Deputy Prime Minister further stated that she will make everything possible to speed up the justice reforms and the fight against corruption in Bulgaria. According to Meglena Kuneva, Romania and Bulgaria have to keep a special relationship in connection with their common goals in the European Union. According to her, the EU investment program should include cross-border projects that will improve the life of the people in the two neighboring countries as far as economic growth is concerned.

Francois Fillon, who is the former Prime Minister of France and also a candidate for becoming a leader of the right-wing Union for a Popular Movement as well as for the presidential election in 2017, recently stated that he is against the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area. In an interview for the French television TF1, Mr. Francois Fillon stated that France should prevent Romania and Bulgaria from entering the Schengen as these are the two countries wherefrom most Roma people come in France.

The former Prime Minister of France further stated that a brand new Schengen area with special border services and just key countries inside which are usually target for mass immigration. Naturally, Mr. Francois Fillon wants more strict conditions for getting French citizenship. At the same time, Romania and Bulgaria hope to be accepted in the movement free Schengen zone soon, as both countries are absolutely ready to become members, as far as technical issues are concerned.