Shengen Agreement delayed - bad news for Russians

[TheTravelBug]

Russian investors and buyers have been awaiting the implementation of the Schengen agreement by Bulgaria for sometime. This would mean that only one visa is required for travel between all EU countries part of the agreement and that if they had the right to live in one country under the agreement, they could travel, work and live in another.

It was expected that there would be a large influx in Russian buyers once this agreement was ratified for Russia. However recently several other EU members have asked that Bulgaria be delayed from entering due to concerns over border control and corruption.

[TheTravelBug]

Sofia Echo:

There was no political will or support for Bulgaria and Romania to join the European Schengen zone at this time, according to the blunt assessment by Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, quoted by the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) on January 15 2011.

Since Hungary assumed the EU presidency in January, Orban and other Hungarian officials had repeatedly said that it was the country's priority to promote the accession of Bulgaria and Romania in Schengen. Hungary has vowed that it would continue to collaborate with all member states to find a solution regarding the admission to the visa-free travel area that is acceptable for all parties concerned.

But it appears that despite Bulgaria "technical progress" and Hungary's determination, there was actually little momentum or enthusiasm for that to actually happen.

On April 14 in Brussels, Orban said that there was no political support for the countries to join, which made the task "rather difficult", the report said. Romania, Orban said, was technically prepared, while Bulgaria should be by the beginning of May.

There were however "powerful EU members who are opposed to the accession, and their position and influence are important" he said, quoted by the BNR. It was essential that the political reservations were tackled with a positive dialogue, according to Orban, and that he issue is debated overtly and widely, instead of discussing it secretly, he said.

At the beginning of the week, the European Parliament said in a draft report that Bulgaria is technically prepared to enter the Schengen zone.

"Bulgaria and Romania have shown that they are sufficiently prepared for the requirements of the Schengen area," the document said, written by the rapporteur of the European Parliament on Schengen matters, Carlos Coelho.

According to the document, "Bulgaria meets all necessary requirements and in some respects, such as maritime border security and the issuing of visas, it is actually more advanced than countries that are already members".

Coelho, who inspected the country's preparation process in March, has offered a period of six months, in which the Government must submit a plan outlining the "effective measure" with which it aims to combat the expected "large influx of immigrants".

Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov told the Bulgarian television channel bTV on the morning of April 15, that "there was a political obstacle, in spite of the fact that Bulgaria had fulfilled the technical requirements needed".

"Europe at the moment has serious problems, which also reflect on Bulgaria, in spite of the progress which the country has achieved, and as reported by Coelho" Tsvetanov said.

[Duke]

What exactly IS the Schengen agreement anyway...apart from something about visa's.

[TheTravelBug]

Yeah it is a little complicated, its basically an agreement between certain countries so that Russians can travel more freely between EU countries (I think).