Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Interior Minister refuses to predict deadline for Bulgaria's full entry into Schengen

Atanas Ilkov
Photo: Press office of the EU/BTA

Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov has assessed as serious the support Bulgaria is receiving for full Schengen membership. However, he did not commit himself to a timeframe on whether this country will be accepted into Schengen by land by the end of the current European Commission's mandate. 
The next Commission is due to take office on 1 December. 

Speaking to journalists in Luxembourg, where he is attending the EU Council meeting, Ilkov said he had spoken to his Austrian counterpart Gerhard Karner, whose country is vetoing Bulgaria's admission to Schengen, but so far there is no firm position from Vienna, BNR correspondent in Brussels Angelina Piskova reported. 
"In terms of demands from us, there is nothing that we have not fulfilled. We have fulfilled what is asked of us, such as increasing the capacity of the Border Police with all the technical equipment, with all the measures we are implementing to counter organised crime groups organising illegal trafficking, good interaction with Romania, Austria and all other European countries," Ilkov said.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Prosecutor General Sarafov asks Parliament to lift the immunity of four MPs from Vazrazhdane

Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov submitted a proposal to the National Assembly to strip the immunity from four MPs from "Vazrazhdane" due to acts of vandalism during the protest in front of the European Commission building in Sofia. These..

published on 2/28/25 8:50 AM

Bulgaria marks international Rare Disease Day

At the initiative of the European Union of Patient Organizations for the Fight against Rare Diseases, on the last day of February, we focus on people living with a rare disease. Awareness campaigns are organized to raise public awareness of this issue...

published on 2/28/25 6:15 AM
There will be fog in the lowlands.

Friday will be overcast with showers

Friday will be mostly cloudy. Fog will cover the lowlands before midday. It will rain in some places, especially in southern Bulgaria. Minimum temperatures will be between 0 and 5°C, 2°C in Sofia, and maximum between 6 and 11°C, up to 17°C in the..

published on 2/27/25 7:55 PM