Category: Business Support

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.

Recently the Foreign Affairs Minister of Romania Titus Corlăţean stated that no consensus has been reached in connection with the acceptance of Romania in the Schengen area. The minister further stated that he is sure Romania will finally be joining Schengen, though the country is now not in the area where the target was overbid. Some of the people in the country say that Romania should be alone in the search for Schengen entry. Others believe that it would be better for Romania to apply for entry in the Schengen zone along with Bulgaria.

Currently, both Romania and Bulgaria have fulfilled the technical criteria to become members of the Schengen zone. However, the two countries have failed to convince the member countries of the Schengen area that they deserve to be accepted as full members. The European political landscape is quite complicated and both Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen is victim of other factors which are not directly associated with the readiness of Romania and Bulgaria to become members of the Schengen travel-free zone.

In the past few years France, the Netherlands and Finland opposite the joining of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen free movement zone. These countries insisted on a two-step accession – first naval and air borders and later – the terrestrial borders.

The main challenges that stay in front of the new Commission in Strasbourg are associated with the migration policy, Energy Union, as well as the equality between the women and men. The new European Commission voted a European Parliament that was headed by Jean-Claude Juncker. The head of the Bulgarian delegation in the European People’s Party, which is also a Deputy Chairperson of the EPP at the EU Parliament Maria Gabriel informed Juncker on several challenges that concern Bulgaria.

Among these challenges was the consistency between home and foreign policy, as well as the coordination and solidarity between the EU member states. The Deputy Chairperson of the EPP at the EU Parliament Maria Gabriel further stressed out the necessity of a comprehensive approach of the EU Commission on migration. The Deputy Chairperson made a statement according to which there must be a real migration diplomacy to be based on cooperation with the countries of transit and the enhanced dialog, especially between the countries of the southern Mediterranean. The importance of smart visa policy was further stressed in order to support objectives of the EU.

Among the most important topics that were discussed were also the support that Romania and Bulgaria search for in connection with the accession of Romania and Bulgaria in the Schengen area and the possible free movement of people.

In the middle of August, a few days after he received his new post, the Foreign Minister of Bulgaria Daniel Mitov met the new German Ambassador in Bulgaria Detlef Lingeman. At the meeting, the Foreign Minister described Germany as a very important strategic and economic partner. The minister confirmed the good relations of the two countries and expressed their will to cooperate.

The new German Ambassador in Bulgaria said that there are many Bulgarian nationals who are living and working in Germany and that his country is appreciative of their contribution to the economy of Germany. The Ambassador further stated that there is a great potential in the sphere of the investments. The two politicians also discussed the priority goals on the agenda of the current caretaker government of Bulgaria, the nomination of Kristalina Georgieva for EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, as well as for High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security.

The Foreign Minister of Bulgaria Daniel Mitov stressed the need for a common EU energy strategy and gas supply sources diversification. He also pointed out to new German Ambassador that Bulgaria expects a positive comments and support from Germany for its Schengen accession bid.

More than 60 % of the Bulgarian citizens approve the membership of their country in the European Union. Even a greater number are the Bulgarians who appreciate their country applying for the passport free travel zone and hope the Schengen accession of Bulgaria will happen any time soon. The data was taken from a survey that was organized by the Open Society Institute – Sofia in the last days of June 2014. The people who took part in the survey said that the biggest advantage that came out of the European Union membership of Bulgaria are in increased number of job opportunities, that were followed by the option for free travelling and the access to the European Union funds.

Bulgarians that took part in the survey expressed positive views concerning the access of Bulgaria in Schengen. At the same time 40 % of the people that took part in the poll said that they are against the participation of Bulgaria in various sanctions against other countries. In the same survey 10 % of the people asked required harsher sanctions from the European Union towards Russia for its role in the Ukraine crises. In the same survey it became clear that 28 % people agreed that the gas pipeline South Stream has to be built only after approval from the European Commission, while 22 % said that the pipeline should be built regardless of the EC approval.

The Informational System of Schengen has been introduced and operational since 1995. Ever since the specialists started working on the new system based on modern technology and with better functionalities. The new system that was set has undergone many special tests by all member states. When the internal border controls were lifted, other approaches were considered including the formation of a brand new and very modern System of Schengen or SIS II, which was adopted by the Council at the end of 2008.

Bulgaria, aiming to become a member of the Schengen passport free travel zone, has joined and uses the Schengen Information System since November 2010. Ever since that, the local authorities have the right and could enter and update the information, as well as take the necessary actions to register all activities associated with signals coming from other countries in the Schengen zone. Once Bulgaria becomes a full member of the Schengen agreement, it will be able to register in the system signals that concern third parties too.

The government of Bulgaria took a decision, according to which by the date Bulgaria does become a member of the Schengen area with full rights, the country will recognize and accept as equal to the national visas all permits and visas for stay that are issued by Croatia, Romania and Cyprus. This will be done for the purposes of the short-term stays and transit trips. The information was announced by the Bulgarian government press service. Bulgaria hopes to become a member of the Schengen agreement. The country is supported by the Italian Ambassador, as the country has now gained the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union for six months in the period July – December 2014.

According to the accepted decision of the Bulgarian government, people who have the necessary documents will be welcome to Bulgaria and stay for a period of up to 90 days with no need of Bulgarian visa for a short stay. Bulgaria expects to attract the attention of the foreign travelers and business people who have Schengen visas and special permits of stay that are issued by the member states of the European Union.