Bulgaria is threatening countermeasures if the Netherlands and Austria veto its Schengen accession, Acting Prime Minister Galab Donev said on Monday (February 5), adding that “common sense may prevail” in the remaining days until the crucial vote is taken.
Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia are all ready to join the passport-free Schengen area, according to the European Commission’s latest expert missions, though the Netherlands and Austria have expressed opposition: The Dutch strongly oppose Bulgaria’s accession while Austria is against both Bulgaria and Romania joining.
Donev did not specify what Bulgaria’s retaliatory measures could be but said that “our hope is that we will not have to do this”.
The unofficial information from Sofia is that unless the Netherlands withdraws its objection, Bulgaria should first block the candidacy of Hans Leijtens for the head of Frontex.
“Bulgaria has not given up on Schengen. We have three more days,” said Prime Minister Donev.
Justice Minister Krum Zarkov told EURACTIV Bulgaria that this time the Bulgarian threat is very real and it aims to provoke the reaction of the EU countries.
Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev commented that there is still hope that Austria can change its position because its representatives participated in the last expert inspection on the Bulgarian borders.
“The main objections of the Netherlands are not related to border protection but to the implementation of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, which was dropped for Bulgaria in 2019. The Netherlands expects a report, which it cannot receive. Such a position renders meaningless the rules on which the EU is founded,” said Demerdzhiev.
The Netherlands has announced that it is ready to support the accession of Croatia and Romania, but not Bulgaria. Austria rejects both Bulgaria and Romania.
The Bulgarian authorities claim that the positions of the Dutch prime minister and the Austrian chancellor are dictated by internal political considerations rather than by concrete shortcomings in the implementation of the Schengen rules by Bulgaria.
“There is a suspicion of double standards, especially from the Netherlands,” added Prime Minister Donev.
The EU Justice and Home Affairs Council is due to vote on two separate decisions on Schengen on December 8. The ministers will vote for the admission of Bulgaria and Romania in one decision, and for Croatia in a second decision. Unanimity is required to approve the decision.
Over the weekend, President Rumen Radev described the position of the Netherlands as “cynicism” and Justice Minister Krum Zarkov as “inadmissible suggestions”. Chief state prosecutor Ivan Geshev requested evidence from the Netherlands that the Bulgarian border can be crossed “with a 50 euro banknote”.
[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]
Source: euractiv.com
