Category: Business Support

There are two main factors that are very important in order Bulgaria to be accepted in the border free travel zone of Schengen. The first essential thing for the country is to preserve its stable development and to make sure that its infrastructure will get even better. The second important thing concerns the prevention of illegal migration. This information was provided in the beginning of April by Monika Hohlmeier, who is a member of the party group of the European People and of the Committees on budgets and on organized crime, corruption and money laundering of the European Parliament. In general, Bulgaria has to convince the other member states of the Schengen passport free zone that it has taken all the measures necessary.

Actually, it will be fair to say that the Schengen zone has problems that concern the illegal immigration with one of its member states – Greece. The country does not fight effectively with the illegal migration and now has to put a lot of efforts and funds in solving that issue. Because of that bad experience, the Schengen zone is more careful with accepting new members now. Today, it wants to act more carefully and avoid the accession of new countries before it is sure that they have solved their problems with the organized crime, corruption and illegal migration.

According to the former prime minister of Bulgaria, Mr. Boyko Borisov, the country failed to enter the Schengen zone because of the political crises it was in. During a meeting of the Council of Ministers he stated that Bulgaria could have entered the Schengen zone by air on March 14th as only the Netherlands were against that. The political turmoil in the country however set an alarm to all the member states of the Schengen passport free zone. It became clear that the debate on the acceptance of Bulgaria and Romania in this border free area was postponed for the end of 2013. Certain diplomatic sources stated however that the two countries will not be accepted before the spring of 2014, even if they have very positive results in the reports that will be issued in the end of the year.

Bulgaria and Romania have to show better and more convincing results on their fight against the organized crime and the corruption. Mr. Boyko Borisov in his capacity of Prime Minister and his government resigned from power at the end of February and are preparing for early elections on May 12th.

Support and solidarity is being showed to Bulgaria and Romania by a group of young people. The two countries’ bids for admission in the travel passport free Schengen zone were postponed for an indefinite time in the beginning of March. The young people formed a group, the aim of which is to ensure that the two countries enter the zone soon, since they are ready for that step. Currently, the initiative Stepping into Schengen is focused on getting attention to the real factors and reasons behind the denial and on the rights that the membership in the zone gives. According to the leaders of the project, the Schengen zone is very important and affects many people, but the decisions taken by its members are not transparent. They further think that the postponement is based on certain political issues and criteria that Bulgaria and Romania are believed not meeting. Accused of having issues with corruption and security, the two countries have actually invested a lot in meeting the technical requirements and in securing their borders.

The Stepping into Schengen initiative has another key role as well and this is to make sure that the decision taken by the member states of Schengen from now on are transparent and not based on political or other motives. Currently, the people from the initiative are focusing on informing people about Schengen zone in general. The initiative is addressing all people that stand for equality, transparency and tolerance.

The Schengen bids for the entry of Bulgaria and Romania will not be decided upon by the end of 2013. This information was offered by a diplomatic source that comes from the European Union Council, as novinite.com announced. The information was presented to the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency. According to the source, the expansion of the Schengen zone is now a political issue and that is why there will be no decision in the near future. The meeting in early March of the Justice and Home Affairs Council resulted only in ten countries supporting the accession of Bulgaria.

Bulgaria was blocked from an entry in the Schengen zone by three of the powerful member states, namely Germany, The Netherlands and France. That is why the diplomatic source said in front of the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency at the end of last week that consensus will be very difficult to be achieved. Actually, the source also stated that many countries that are members of the no border travel Schengen zone are quite skeptical about its expansion. According to the same source, the bid of Bulgaria to enter the Schengen zone will not be considered soon and the entire situation will not change for the country, even if the European Commission reports in the end of the year are positive.

Leading European newspapers commented on the announcement of the Interior Minister of Germany Mr. Hans Peter Friedrich, who stated in March that Bulgaria and its neighboring country Romania are not ready to enter the Schengen zone. According to the minister, there is a possibility for the abolishing of the borders on several stages with the first borders to be removed to be the air and the sea borders. At the same time, the entry of Bulgaria and Romania in the Schengen zone was supported by the European Committee. Even so, with the rejection from Germany and the Netherlands, the membership was postponed at least until the end of the year and the new reports about the progress of the two countries.

The reaction of the German Interior Minister was provoked by the invasion of immigrants from the two Balkan countries, mainly from the Roman origin, who visit the country for social tourism purposes. They also pointed out problems with the corruption and the legislation system. At the end of the year, after the new reports for the countries progress is issued, there will be new discussions about the application for an entry in the Schengen zone. Most probably however, the application of Bulgaria and its neighboring country Romania will be discussed in the first months of the next year.

After the entry of Bulgaria in the Schengen zone that requires no passports and has no inner borders was postponed in the beginning of March, the former Prime Minister of the country, Mr. Boyko Borisov stated that the country would have been accepted if there was no inner political crisis at that moment. Mr. Borisov made that announcement on the basis of the interview that Immigration minister of the Netherlands gave for the Bulgarian National Television on 13th February. In the interview Mr. Fred Teeven said that his country is accepting Bulgaria as a partner, which is offering security and safety. He also stated that after talking with the Prime Minister at that time, Mr. Tsvetanov, he was convinced that Bulgaria is ready to become a member state of the Schengen zone.

After the meeting during which the acceptance of Bulgaria was postponed, the former Prime Minister Borisov said that he finds the political situation in the country as being one of the factors that made several of the member states become uncertain about the membership of Bulgaria in the Schengen zone. The countries that he had in mind included Austria, Finland and The Netherlands, as Germany was already against the acceptance of the country at that moment. Bulgaria’s application for an entry in the Schengen zone will most probably be discussed in late December or in the beginning of 2014, after the new official reports for the country’s progress are issued at the end of the year.

In the beginning of March Sofia’s entry in the Schengen passport free zone was postponed. This provoked a lot of discussions, but also many questions that the politicians have to face and answer. The entry of Bulgaria was blocked by Germany, which was supported in its decision by Austria, Finland and The Netherlands. Most probably, the application of Bulgaria for an entry in the Schengen zone will be discussed again at the end of this year or most probably next year, after the new reports that will present the country’s progress were issued in December.

The main issues that the country should fight with included the corruption problems and the problems with the organized crime. According to the chief of the Customs Agency, Bulgaria being postponed to enter the Schengen zone might have its positive side. Mr. Vanyo Tanov stated that when the country enters the passport free travel zone, there will be a huge smuggling pressure on the country’s borders. Besides, when Bulgaria finally becomes part of the Schengen area, it will have to offer material ad human resource in order to cover its obligations as a member state. According to Tanov, the economic crises in Bulgaria and in the European Union in general, as well as the lack of understanding along the countries in the zone, explain the relief that the country should feel as not becoming a member state in that very moment.

In the beginning of April, the President of Hungary Janos Adler expressed the unconditional support of his country to Bulgaria and the country’s efforts to join the Schengen zone, where the travelling does not require passports. The Hungarian President was speaking on a joint news conference which he gave with his Bulgarian colleague – the president Rosen Plevneliev. The Bulgarian President was on a two day organized official visit in the Hungarian capital Budapest.

As Adler said, despite the four countries that opposed Sofia entering the Schengen zone, he and his country Hungary had always supported Bulgaria in its efforts. During the same meeting, the President of Republic of Bulgaria confirmed that there should not be concerns about Bulgaria entering the Schengen zone. Mr. Plevneliev stated that there are no reasons for fear and he put a stress on the country’s willingness to take measures in order to prevent the mass migration, in case such measures are needed and necessary. During the meeting, the two presidents also discussed issues that concern the energy and the commitment of the two countries in the process of construction of the gas pipelines South Stream and Nabucco.

Bulgaria along with Romania faced a new rejection in the beginning of March, connected with their application to enter the Schengen zone. The two countries were postponed again from becoming part of the border free travelling area, after the justice and the home affairs ministers of several of the European Union member states agreed that the two countries are not yet ready for becoming part of the Schengen zone. Actually, most of the member states showed their support for the two countries from the Balkan Peninsula, however the powerful states of Finland, the Netherlands and Germany opposed. The two countries are meeting the technical criteria in order to become part of the Schengen zone, but their membership was postponed since the rest of the countries have certain doubts about the overall situation they are in.

The interior minister of Germany, Mr. Hans-Peter Friedrich, made a proposal according to which the access of the immigrants from Bulgaria and Romania should be restricted. His idea came from his concern that the social security system was used for many years already. All the other countries that are members of the Schengen zone however, stated that Germany should not restrict the right of access of the skilled workers to the job market. It is believed that the two countries will be accepted as members of the Schengen area at the end of this year or at some point next year.

The Schengen zone was formed in year 1985 with the aim to remove the internal borders between the member states and thus to encourage the free movement of people and their integration. The price for that Schengen freedom required many efforts and harmony among the member countries as far as visa issuance rules, coordination and cooperation among the police forces, and fight against organized crime were concerned. Once the Schengen zone was formed and later its members increased in number was formed the Schengen Information System, that helped the zone authorities in exchanging information about the movement of people and goods.

According to the member states of the Schengen zone, the two countries that were last accepted in the European Union – Bulgaria and Romania, still have issues to fight against. These include the problem with the organized crime and the problem with the corruption. The new report that the European Commission is expected to give to Sofia is expected in the end of this year. Until then, the country will go through elections and will have new government. At that time, a new report will also be issued from the Justice and Home Affairs Council. Bulgarians hope that the new government will have enough time to start its work and to give its signals to the European Union and the Schengen zone about its priorities and work plans. Eventually, the country hopes to get positive reports and to be accepted as a member state of the Schengen zone in the near future.