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

The Netherlands maintains its veto on Bulgaria's Schengen membership

Bulgaria's Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov in Luxembourg, 19 October 2023
Photo: BTA

There is no good reason why Bulgaria's accession to Schengen should not be a fact by the end of the year, said Bulgaria's Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov during the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg. He referred to the published report of the European Commission that Bulgaria and Romania have made significant progress in introducing rapid procedures for granting asylum and returning migrants who arrived illegally in the EU. Stoyanov хас emphasized that next week Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov will make a very important visit to Austria on the issue of Schengen.

The Minister for Migration of the Netherlands, Erik van der Burg, stated that it is not likely that The Hague will lift its veto on Bulgaria's admission to the Schengen area in the near future. He again requested an EU commission to arrive in Bulgaria and give an independent assessment of the country's readiness for membership in the Schengen area. 

European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Ylva Johansson told BNR that she was optimistic about the admission of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen in December.



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

President says Bulgaria must not to be drawn into escalating conflicts

We must be very careful not to get Bulgaria involved in the conflicts that are currently escalating. This is what President Rumen Radev told journalists in the village of Dren, near Radomir, where he participated in the celebration of the 35th..

published on 6/23/25 5:39 PM

Sofia's public transport workers gearing up for another protest over delayed pay rise

Public transport workers in Sofia are planning another protest in front of City Hall on Thursday (26 June), BNR reporter Evelina Stoyanova has reported. The workers are demanding a monthly pay increase of €150, which has been delayed due to Mayor..

published on 6/23/25 5:09 PM
Zhecho Stankov

Energy minister: No problems expected with fuel supplies to Bulgaria

The state, all Bulgarian citizens and businesses are fully supplied with fuel. No problems are expected with fuel deliveries in Bulgaria, including those of diesel, petrol and propane-butane. Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov assured this at a briefing..

published on 6/23/25 2:29 PM