The Schengen Bid of Bulgaria Depends on Meeting Criteria

The President of the European Parliament Mr. Martin Schulz has recently announced, that the admittance of Bulgaria into the borderless Schengen area of the European Union has a legal aspect and depends on the country meeting certain criteria. Martin Schulz spoke on a joint conference with Boyko Borisov, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, stating that when the member states of the European Union meet certain criteria, they are entitled to various legal rights. According to that the question whether Bulgaria will join the passport free zone of Schengen should be seen from that point of view and is not a political question.

Bulgaria, along with its neighboring country Romania, joined the European Union in 2007. Both countries hoped to become members of the Schengen zone in 2010, however several of the member states of the Schengen agreement opposed due to fear of issues with organized crime and corruption. The President of the European Parliament is to pay a visit to Bulgaria in the spring and talk about the Schengen bid. This will show confidence in the government of the coalition, as well as in all parties that are presented in the National Assembly.