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Most viewed in Justice
Schengen report puts focus on Greek borders
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Enlarging schengen
Bulgaria has met the technical requirements for joining the Schengen area, a working group of EU member states' experts has found in a report that is currently being finalised. Romania, the other country seeking to join, received a positive technical assessment in January.
The two countries had hoped to be given the green light to join Schengen this spring, but their admission was delayed by opposition from other EU states led by France and Germany. The opposition is still there – but with Bulgaria's technical readiness confirmed by member states' experts, a decision on admission might be taken later this year.
Hungary, the current holder of the rotating presidency of the EU's Council of Ministers, is pushing the member states to take formal note of the evaluation when national interior ministers meet in Luxembourg on 9 June.
Visa Safeguards
The European Commission will next week (24 May) propose a mechanism temporarily to reintroduce visa requirements for people arriving in the Schengen area from certain countries, primarily from the western Balkans. The proposal is a response to complaints from some member states about a spike last year in asylum-seekers from Serbia and Macedonia, whose citizens have been able to travel to the Schengen area without visas since December 2009.
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On the frontline of migration?
Greek asylum situation "still worrying", say ministers.
Rutte says Bulgaria and Romania still not ready to join Schengen.
