The issue of Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen has often been discussed in public. It was raised again during the week, as Jean Asselborn, the Foreign Minister of Luxembourg whose country takes the EU rotation presidency on July 1, assured Bulgarian Deputy PM Meglena Kuneva that his country was supporting Bulgaria’s cause of joining the area for free movement of people. So far Sofia has heard a few similar vows from other presidencies too. Talks with Asselborn however have prompted Kuneva to speculate that accession will finally take place by the end of 2015.

Recently, the Bulgarian government has received signals of support for its efforts to join Schengen from France and Germany. On some occasions though assurances for support are seen as mere politeness. Deputy PM Kuneva herself already commented that new and new requirements were being put to this country for Schengen entry. In this way accession has been made into something not unlike a moving target. And indeed, the same week Bulgaria received vows of support from the forthcoming EU presidency, the First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans warned that the new Bulgaria report of the Commission would be absolutely frank about progress in justice and home affairs and that its evaluations would be honest even though this might make it unpleasant to read.

So far the European Commission has supported Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen with the argument that this country has complied with technical criteria. Timmermans’ latest statement however that hinted about problems in justice and home affairs, signals some kind of change. The change in the tone of voice is not short-term given the remark of Timmermans that future Bulgaria reports will be outspoken regardless of whether the governments of Bulgaria and Romania like this or not.

The latest developments surrounding Schengen have made some observers believe that despite the government’s claims that Bulgaria is set to join Schengen by the year-end accession will most probably be delayed. A change may also have taken place in the views of the government. So far it claimed that compliance with technical criteria was enough for Schengen entry and that the progress on the verification mechanism of the European Commission should not be bound to it. Now the government thinks that “the challenge is to have good results in justice reform and in combating corruption”. Accession to Schengen it seems, has not only become a “moving target”, as Deputy PM Meglena Kuneva put it, but is also for the better.

English version Daniela Konstantinova