site.btaDeputy PM Kuneva Expects Political Decision on Bulgaria's Entry in Schengen on October 1 or November 1

Deputy PM Kuneva Expects Political Decision on Bulgaria's Entry in Schengen on October 1 or November 1

Brussels, September 9 (BTA Correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) - Speaking to journalists here on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister for European Policies Coordination and Institutional Affairs Meglena Kuneva said that Bulgaria will not become a member of Schengen on October 1 or November 1, but that she expects a political decision to be given then.

In her words, this political decision will be tied to a well-functioning country, which will be achieved when the work is done on the adoption of the bill on fighting high-level corruption. Kuneva was asked to comment on a statement made by Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Didier Reynders. Visiting Bulgaria on Tuesday, Reynders said that Belgium supports Bulgaria's accession to Schengen but wants to see that Bulgaria has capacity to adopt and then implement this anti-corruption legislation.

Kuneva described as unprecedented the postponement until now of Bulgaria's and Romania's entry in the Schengen area, given that the two countries have met the requirements set in the EU's legal system. "Europe needs Bulgaria and Romania to take part in this security system," she added.

Asked to comment on Wednesday's package of proposals by the European Commission for dealing with the migrant crisis, Kuneva said that the number of protection-seekers allocated to Bulgaria is a matter of calculation. In her words, it is in Bulgaria's interest to support these proposals, according to which the country should accept 1,600 protection-seekers over a period of two years. Kuneva noted that this number of people is a preliminary proposal and the talks continue. She added that by September 14 Bulgaria is expected to have a position on the proposal to introduce a permanent relocation scheme for asylum-seekers in the EU.

Bulgaria is among the countries which are in favour of a single policy on asylum-seekers and asylum, she told journalists. "This is in our interest - as an external border state, if we are left to ourselves, outside of Schengen as we are, without being able to count on the EU's common policy, this will go against the Bulgarian national interests," she added.

"We have to say if we want Schengen to remain," Kuneva went on to say. She said firmly that, according to her, this system is of significant importance for the EU. "Without Schengen, the image and authority of Europe will not be the same at all," she added.

Kuneva noted that Bulgaria and Romania have a different position from the countries of the Visegrad Four (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), which do not support the relocation scheme.