Schengen Area

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.

Romanian Prime Minister Ion-Marcel Ciolacu underscored that Romania's stance on its Schengen file hinges on the Netherlands' stance toward Bulgaria's entry into the European Schengen area. Speaking to Agerpress and Digi24, Ciolacu highlighted the recent Dutch elections on November 22 as a factor affecting parliamentary voting procedures.

Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov acknowledged the increasing complexities in negotiating Bulgaria's Schengen entry following the recent Dutch elections. However, he remains optimistic, stating that progress has been made and will be presented at the European Union's foreign ministers meeting, even though no immediate vote is anticipated.

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.

In a definitive stance, European Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, underscored the unwavering commitment to stringent criteria for Bulgaria's entrance into the Eurozone, dispelling any prospects of leniency or "flexibility" in the accession process.

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.

Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov delivered upbeat news, announcing Bulgaria's commendable performance in meeting all the prerequisites for Schengen membership. Addressing the parliamentary assembly, Denkov expressed optimism regarding the nation's potential accession to Schengen by the year's end.