Brussels, 09/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - Bulgaria and Romania will have to wait still longer if they wish to integrate the Schengen area of free movement as, on Friday, the Netherlands refused to budge from its position during the meeting of EU heads of state and government. Opposed to a compromise allowing a two-phase entry - the opening of maritime and air borders and then, in a second phase, land borders - the Netherlands also refused a proposal put forward by President Herman Van Rompuy, a source states. Van Rompuy had suggested that The Hague abstain during the vote allowing other Schengen member countries to validate the compromise. “A large number of countries intervened and sought to convince the Netherlands to change its mind”, a source explained, adding that the answer “was always 'no'”. The result of this was that the European Council has once more postponed a decision until later, in this case until the spring European summit in March 2012, but, only “if necessary”, that is if no progress has been made in the meantime. On Friday, the Council noted the fact that the two countries, which were initially to join the Schengen area in March 2011 before France and Germany should express any doubts, doubts that were expressed more firmly later by Finland and the Netherlands, have fully met all the technical criteria for entry to the Schengen area. However, the Netherlands wished to be able to link this accession to the work of the Commission monitoring the efforts made by the two candidates for legal reform and to combat corruption, the famous CVM mechanism (mechanism for cooperation and verification for Bulgaria and Romania). The Commission is to publish a progress report next February and then in July 2012. The Netherlands will only take a decision if these reports are positive, a source states, “and not before”. (SP/transl.jl)