Brussels, 17/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - Still being kept out of the Schengen free-movement area by its European colleagues, Bulgaria is set to initiate new investments to secure its borders and give its border guards new surveillance mechanisms, according to the site Novinite.com. The Bulgarian ministry for foreign affairs has been given around €5 million from the state budget to roll out equipment to detect migrants in vehicles or temporary bases for border helicopters, the website continues.
Since the beginning of 2011, Bulgaria has already spent more than €6 million on its Schengen measures. This is not enough for Finland or the Netherlands which, aside from concerns of the effectiveness of the border surveillance, are still sceptical about Sofia's efforts to fight corruption. (SP/transl.fl)