Brussels, 04/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - In recent days, several Bulgarian and Romanian media have raised the question of recent statements by European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding, evoking the future of the two countries in the Schengen area. The press in those two countries is wondering whether Bulgaria will finally enter the area of free movement sooner than Romania, the Presseurop website reports. On Friday 31 August, Barroso had said during a visit to Sofia that the country was ready to become part of Schengen. Given that all criteria had been met, the Commission president had called on the EU27 to find a solution as quickly as possible in order to allow the country to join the area. It was, however, above all the statements by Reding this weekend in the French daily Le Monde that obviously convinced the Bulgarian and Romanian media.
On Saturday 1 September, Reding had pointed out that she would not be surprised if member states postponed Romania's entry into the Schengen area. She evoked in passing the doubts felt by the European executive regarding rule of law in Romania, which provoked an angry response from Prime Minister Victor Ponta. According to the Bulgarian press and the daily Monitor, Sofia should receive the go-ahead for its access to Schengen during the forthcoming Council of EU Home Ministers, scheduled to be held in Brussels on 20 September.
The Romanian daily România libera, as related by Presseurop, states it is evident that “Barroso has clearly given the signal for uncoupling these two states, while Viviane Reding has made it explicit. Romania has lost all chance of joining the Schengen area within a foreseeable period of time”. This “uncoupling” assumption, however, leaves certain European sources perplexed as, as one source pointed out, they feel “it will be very difficult to separate the two countries as the border between Bulgaria and Romania has never been determined”. Another source from a large Schengen country believes this possibility of integrating only Bulgaria is not really being discussed by home ministers and “we have received no pointers along those lines”. One thing, however, is certain: the eagerness to have Romania join the area of free movement has clearly decreased in recent weeks, fuelled by the Romanian internal crisis between Ponta and Basescu. One of the sources feels it would be also be astonishing for the green light to be given to Bulgaria when Romania, before it went through its institutional “war”, appeared more in advance than Bulgaria on a series of criteria, such as counter corruption.
At any rate, the subject is to be discussed during the next meeting of ministers but the agenda could still be modified if no decision on Schengen enlargement is planned, a source said. The Dutch legislative elections on 12 September will also be closely monitored, as the Netherlands has always been among the least keen to agree to Bulgarian and Romanian membership of the Schengen area. The elections could weigh on the Schengen agenda of home ministers. (SP/transl.jl)