Romania and Bulgaria will not join Schengen at the end of March, as their leaders were hoping because the Bulgarian evaluation report on the security of Bulgarian borders is negative, several European diplomats declared on Friday at Brussels, AFP reads quoted by Romanian news agency Mediafax.
The decision will be taken in the EU Council of Interior ministers, scheduled on February 24th. The adhesion of the two countries is out of question, Bulgaria’s evaluation report on its border security with Turkey is negative and we cannot have Romania without Bulgaria, one of the quoted diplomats declared. France and Germany are not the only countries that oppose the adhesion of Romania and Bulgaria.
About 12 EU member states share the opinion, the anonymous diplomat said. Greece was rejected three times by Germany before it was finally admitted and currently it is clear that Germany had every reason to do so because Greece continues to have problems with securing its border with Turkey, another diplomat said.
French European Affairs minister Laurent Wauquiez reinforced on Thursday France’s opposition to the adhesion of Romania and Bulgaria on grounds that the two countries still face problems with corrupton and lack of security at the Romanian borders favored by the low salary of the customs officers.
He said that joining Schengen is a great responsibility as their borders become EU borders and countries must be able to control it. The French official said that a Romanian customs officer earns about 400 euro which makes him/her liable for bribe. He added that France does not oppose out of principle to Romania’s joining Schengen but these countries need to be prepared to join. Romania and Bulgaria will not join Schengen at the end of March, as their leaders were hoping because the Bulgarian evaluation report on the security of Bul
