Law enforcement in Europe

"Countries not yet admitted to Schengen should not have to pay for their membership by accepting more refugees".

New conditions for Schengen. Vienna wants increased border control between Bulgaria and Romania, as well as sending Austrian advisers to work with teams at the airports in Bucharest and Sofia. It is also a condition that Romania and Bulgaria accept Afghans and Syrians seeking asylum.

Tourism activity is expected to spike after Greece decided to exempt Turkish citizens from Schengen visa requirements for seven days to visit the eastern Aegean islands, representatives from the Turkish tourism industry have said.

The Austrian media reports that the Minister of the Interior of Austria, Gerhard Karner, is ready to loosen the veto on the expansion of the Schengen area with Bulgaria and Romania.

Spain, holding the EU Presidency, remains non-committal about arranging an urgent Council meeting to vote on Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen membership.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska expressed Europe's strengthened stance with the integration of both countries but refrained from committing to a timeline, citing ongoing efforts.

European Commissioner for Internal Affairs, Ylva Johansson, reaffirmed her commitment to seeing Bulgaria and Romania integrated into the Schengen Area this year. Johansson expressed her optimism following a successful fact-finding mission in Bulgaria, emphasizing the readiness of both countries for Schengen accession.

The European Union's interior ministers will refrain from voting on Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen entry during the Home Affairs Council meeting today. Instead, they will assess both countries' preparedness for joining the free movement area.

European Parliament members Ilhan Kyuchyuk representing Bulgaria and Vlad Botos representing Romania led a protest at Vienna's Ministry of Interior on Monday, denouncing Austria's stance against Bulgaria's and Romania's Schengen area admission. Austrian MP Helmut Brandstatter joined the demonstration.

Anticipation surrounding Bulgaria's potential Schengen membership faces another delay, as diplomatic sources, relayed by Brussels correspondent Angelina Piskova to BNR, reveal that no immediate decision will emerge in the upcoming week.

Ilhan Kyuchyuk, a Bulgarian MEP representing the Renew Europe Group, alongside Romanian MEP Vlad Botos and Austrian MEP Helmut Brandstätter, are slated to stage a demonstration on December 4 in front of Vienna's Ministry of the Interior. The protest aims to challenge Austria's resistance to Bulgaria and Romania's inclusion in the Schengen area.