Schengen Area

The European Commission reaffirmed today that Romania and Bulgaria are fully prepared for complete accession to the Schengen area, according to a spokesperson cited by the Agerpres agency and reported by BTA.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was interviewed by CNN and journalist Christiane Amanpour.

A decision on Bulgaria and Romania's full membership in the Schengen area for free travel is expected by the end of the year, according to Yordanka Chobanova, head of Bulgaria's EU permanent representation, as reported by BNR.

Boyko Borissov, leader of GERB, stated during a forum in Sofia focused on Schengen and Eurozone integration that Bulgaria must regain its role as a guarantor of the European Union's external borders. He emphasized that a recent "change" has taken the country "thousands of kilometers away" from joining Schengen and the Eurozone.

On BNR, Maria Mincheva, the deputy chairwoman of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the urgent need for a specific date for Bulgaria's Schengen accession, stating that clarity is essential for businesses. She pointed out that remaining outside of Schengen not only harms Bulgaria's reputation but also undermines investor confidence in the country.

MEP Radan Kanev raised concerns over growing tension in Brussels following Bulgaria's cancellation of a public procurement for border technical equipment. He warned that this could jeopardize the country's chances of joining the land-based Schengen area.

Faced with the specter of reliving a situation reminiscent of 2015 - obviously not the same, but with some similar characteristics - when tens of thousands of immigrants and refugees were "stuck" on Greece's border with North Macedonia, Athens is in search of a strategy - and allies to strengthen its position and push it through - to respond to Berlin's recent decision to tighten controls on it

The Bulgarian tourism industry faces significant challenges due to delays in processing both work and tourist visas for individuals from third countries, BNR reports. The situation has particularly impacted the tourism and construction sectors, with other industries also struggling to manage visa applications.

Germany has introduced temporary border controls to ensure safe, orderly, and legal entry into the country, a move that will not impact the visa issuance process for Turkish citizens, as confirmed by Germany's Embassy in Türkiye on Monday.

Germany is unilaterally promoting a new strict package on migration and internal security. In a sudden move, Berlin expanded temporary border controls with nine neighboring countries starting at midnight on Sunday. These measures are causing concern in Brussels, which is seeking explanations.