17/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - Pessimism on Schengen enlargement. Luxembourg's minister responsible for asylum and immigration, Jean Asselborn, told the European Parliament's civil liberties committee on Wednesday 15 July that he was “pessimistic” about an agreement in six months enabling Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen area. This membership has been blocked since 2011, with the member states unconvinced that the borders are secure enough, and having often used the domestic political issues of these two countries linked to corruption in order to push back the deadline. Luxembourg will nevertheless sound the Schengen countries out in order to see if the item can be included on the agenda of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in October. (SP)