Bulgaria Schengen - what is the situation for today?

In June 1985, in Luxembourg near the villageSchengen five Western European countries (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and France) signed an agreement on the abolition of passport control between their countries. By the time this agreement came into force, it included two more countries - Portugal and Spain.

In the years that followed, there was a very strongexpansion of the Schengen zone. The economic benefits provided by the common customs space led to the fact that in October 2012 the Schengen zone included 26 countries, namely Belgium and Austria, Hungary and Greece, Germany and Denmark, Italy, Spain and Iceland, Lithuania and Latvia, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Malta, Norway and the Netherlands, Portugal and Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia, France, Finland and the Czech Republic, Estonia, Switzerland and Sweden.

Is Bulgaria in Schengen and what is the situation here?

In October 2012 there were 4 more real candidates for joining the Schengen zone:

Bulgaria, Schengen is expected from 2013, Cyprus - from 2016; Romania - from 2013 and Croatia - in 2013-2015, immediately after the country's accession to the EU.

The five EU member states, which are alreadyhave signed the Schengen Agreement until they enter the Schengen zone, since in these countries passport control has not yet been completely abolished (Ireland, Great Britain) or its cancellation is still planned in the near future (Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania).

Romania and Bulgaria Schengen get eagerfor a long time, but their entry into the Schengen zone was repeatedly postponed, as some member countries of this zone believed that the fight against corruption in these countries is ineffective.

Crucial was the fact that Germany protestedagainst the admission of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen zone. All the requirements of the EU were fulfilled in 2011, the governments of these countries, and in particular Bulgaria, emphasize. Schengen for them, however, seems to be pushed back for an indefinite time. After all, in Brussels there was not even a vote - the ministers only exchanged views. To discuss the question of the accession of the countries of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen countries, the EU can not return until the end of this year.

However, experts assessed the chances of these statesEnter the Schengen area in the current year as very low. Moreover, despite the desire to join the zone, which Romania and Bulgaria show, the Schengen is closed to them by Germany's active opposition, even to the promise of using its veto power.

Head of the German Ministry of the Interiorexpressed his fear that open borders could be used by non-citizens of the EU who are on the territory of Romania and Bulgaria, for uncontrolled penetration into the Schengen zone. Finland, Germany, as well as France, are primarily concerned with "refugees from poverty", as well as "the Gypsy issue".

In addition, it should be borne in mind that forthe consent of all the countries-participants of the Schengen agreement is necessary, and this, given the difficult economic and political situation within the European Union, is a difficult task.

However, the Government of Bulgaria in January 2012has unilaterally decided on which a Schengen visa will be valid for entry into the country. Bulgaria Schengen, apparently, all this hopes to receive this year.

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