Brussels, 10/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - The evaluation of the state of preparedness of Romania and Bulgaria for their accession to the Schengen area will be carried out on a technical and not a political basis, the European Commission stated on Thursday, after France pleaded in favour of postponing the decision concerning the two countries. “The analysis and entry of the countries into the Schengen area must be done on the basis of technical and administrative aspects. We believe that the political aspects are not an element which should give a different vision of the technical aspects”, said Michele Cercone, the spokesperson to the European commissioner for home affairs. France, however, in the person of its new minister for European affairs, Laurent Wauquiez, stated the day before that it intended to work towards ensuring that the decision on the two countries joining the Schengen area is not taken until summer 2011 at the earliest, rather than in March as the two countries wish, due to security problems on the borders and corruption, amongst other things (EUROPE 10274). Declining to comment on this specific declaration, Cercone pointed out that it was effectively up to the member states to take position “unanimously” in favour of Romania and Bulgaria joining the Schengen area and that this decision had to be linked to the respect for specific criteria (data protection, Schengen information system, external border security, police cooperation and visas). An individual member state can therefore block this decision if it feels that the candidate state does not fulfil the Schengen criteria. (B.C./transl.fl)