Brussels, 16/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - At a press conference on Friday on the achievements of the six months of the Polish Presidency, Poland's secretary of state for European affairs, Mikolaj Dowgielewicz, said that the failure to expand the Schengen area to Bulgaria and Romania was Poland's greatest regret. He said it was particularly disappointing because both Bulgaria and Romania meet the technical criteria, and the failure to allow the two countries to join was betrayal of the spirit of loyal cooperation among member states, which is foreseen in the treaties.
Dowgielewicz was referring to the reaction of the Netherlands, the only Schengen country to veto Bulgaria and Romania. He said the Polish Presidency was well aware of why the Dutch had vetoed expansion of Schengen and the Presidency had tried to get them to change their minds, but they had refused for political reasons.
Since September this year, the Polish Presidency has been trying to achieve an agreement so that Bulgaria and Romania could join Schengen in two separate stages - in March and July 2012. Finland has relaxed its opposition in recent weeks and now says it is prepared to agree to them joining, but the Netherlands refused to budge at the 13 December meeting of EU home affairs ministers. On 9 December, the EU's leaders said they would give Bulgaria and Romania an answer by April 2012. (SP/transl.fl)