site.btaUPDATED Hungary to Put Issue of Lifting Schengen Land Border Controls for Bulgaria, Romania on EU's Agenda in December

The Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union will put the issue of lifting Schengen land border controls for Bulgaria and Romania on the agenda for the meeting of the Home Affairs Council in December, Hungary’s Interior Minister Sandor Pinter said at a news conference after meeting with his EU counterparts in Luxembourg on Thursday, expressing hope for a positive decision. 

Pinter said that at the meeting, Bulgaria and Romania presented the progress made after the lifting of checks at air and sea borders this spring. Strengthening the EU's external borders is one of the priorities, he added. He also said there was no discussion on this issue on Thursday and a report is to be prepared which will become the basis for a future ministerial decision.

"It is obvious to us that the data presented by the Bulgarian and Romanian ministers will answer any questions Austria may have," he said commenting Vienna's refusal to lift the veto imposed on the two countries' full Schengen accession last December. 

At the end of last year, Austria was the only EU country that did not support a complete abolition of Schengen checks for Bulgaria and Romania.

"I do not make predictions and I do not make promises, but I believe that a big step forward is coming," Pinter added.

Bulgaria and Romania are fully implementing Schengen legislation, noted EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson. A decision on land borders remains to be taken. "Both countries are in Schengen, I expect the next EU Council decision very soon," she said. "I am in contact with Austria and therefore I am very optimistic," said Johansson, who reiterated her hope that a decision will be taken by the end of her mandate (December). Bulgaria and Romania are implementing Schengen legislation perfectly, fulfilling all the conditions and more. "A very good job has been done," Johansson summarised.

One of the priorities is to strengthen the EU's external borders, Pinter said. The Minister noted that the Council of the EU had been briefed at Thursday's meeting on a European Commission report on the state of Schengen. In his words, the data show that Schengen is under strong migratory pressure. 

According to Commissioner Johansson, the number of migrants arriving illegally in the EU has decreased by 40% since the beginning of the year and the number of returns has increased by 18%. However, the number of asylum applications is not falling, which means that most of the migrants come with visas or from visa-free countries, she explained.