site.btaBulgarian MEPs Urge Netherlands to End Schengen Blockade

In a formal letter to Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the members of the European Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Netherlands, the Bulgarian Members of the European Parliament call for an end to the unprecedented and unjustified blocking of Bulgaria's an Romania's accession to the Schengen area, GERB's press office said on Thursday.

"For 11 years now the two countries' full membership has been hostage to the lack of a consensus in the EU Council, in particular to the negative position of the Netherlands, which remains the only obstacle to the final decision on our entry in Schengen," the MEPs said.

The matter will be raised again at the Justice and Home Affairs Council in December. To achieve the necessary agreement before the meeting, the Bulgarian delegation to the European Parliament is ready to hold fast-track working meetings with representatives of the government and Parliament of the Netherlands.

The Bulgarian MEPs also insist that the Netherlands take into account the European Commission's evaluation and the European Parliament's resolutions, so that the Schengen enlargement process can continue with Bulgaria's and Romania's accession before the end of this calendar year, said the letter signed by all Bulgarian MEPs.

They are unanimously and consistently in favour of lifting internal border controls for Bulgaria and Romania. In their view, this is of key importance not just to the two countries' economy and security, but to the whole EU, especially in the midst of a number of crises such as a war on Europe's doorstep, energy instability and rising inflation.

The MEPs recall that EU law provides a level playing field among Member States, and that Bulgaria and Romania have long met all the criteria. The conclusions of the mission within the evaluation and monitoring mechanism verifying the application of the Schengen acquis are the most positive possible for both Bulgaria and Romania. What is more, they are proof of the continuous efforts made by the two countries to join Schengen, the Bulgarian MEPs said.