site.btaBulgarian, Austrian Interior Ministers Talk in Luxembourg

Sofia, June 5 (BTA) - Interior Ministers Valentin Radev of Bulgaria and Herbert Kickl of Austria met in Luxembourg on June 4 in the sidelines of an EU Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, Radev's ministry reported. The two officials discussed various aspects of the work of the current Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council in the field of home affairs in view of the responsibilities which Austria will assume after taking over the EU Council Presidency on July 1.

Radev said the EU Council has completed its negotiations with the European Parliament on two legislative proposals: ETIAS and eu-LISA. Talks on six more proposals - three in the field of asylum and three concerning the Schengen Information System - are expected to be finalized by the end of June.

"We are also optimistic that we will be able to achieve a common Council approach to the Procedural Regulation, the Visa Code and two legislative proposals about interoperability. We continue to seek a breakthrough on the Schengen Borders Code," Radev said.

At the end of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, Bulgarian Justice Minister Tsetska Tsacheva handed over the Justice portfolio of the EU Council to her Austrian counterpart Josef Moser.