site.btaEuropean Commission Spokesperson: Schengen Enlargement Remains Political Priority for EC

The European Commission has been clear for a very long time that we need to open the Schengen area to Bulgaria and Romania, said European Commission (EC) Spokesperson Christian Wigand at a news conference here on Friday. He was replying to a question about Friday's news that the EC is formally closing the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) for the two countries.

"For 12 years, Bulgaria and Romania have continuously met all the necessary conditions to join the Schengen area set out in the Schengen regulation. Schengen enlargement remains a political priority for the Commission, and Bulgaria and Romania should be allowed to fully participate in the Schengen area without further delay," he said.

"The Commission has never made a link between Schengen accession and the CVM. These are separate strands of work, each with its own requirements," he underscored.