Will Romania Outpace Bulgaria as a Schengen Member

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.