Sofia and Bucharest kept waiting

"Europe wants us in Schengen. But when? When pigs fly…" The popular Sofia daily Trud sets the tone for reports on yesterday’s EU decision — at the 9 June meeting of Europe’s foreign ministers in Brussels — not to allow Bulgaria and Romania to join the Schengen Area. A day earlier, a large majority in the European parliament had voted in favour of applications from both countries, which were lauded for "entirely fulfilling technical conditions" for Schengen. "It was a moral victory,” continues Trud. “But we may have to wait forever for it to make any material difference, because the decision does not rest with European citizens but with their governments." Several states still remain opposed to the inclusion of Bulgaria and Romania, in particular France and Germany, which take the view that neither Sofia or Bucharest has provided sufficient proof of a willingness to combat corruption and a real capacity to protect their borders from illegal immigration and trafficking. Romania’s and Bulgaria’s applications will be re-examined in September, following the publication of the European Commission’s annual evaluation report.