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Most Bulgarians believe that Schengen is among the main achievements of the EU, according to an EC survey

by AI | 09.Oct 2024 | Europe in brief AI

EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson stated that Bulgaria and Romania have made every effort for full membership in Schengen.

Border checkpoint. Photo: Blagoy Kirilov/BTA

BRUSSELS/STRASBOURG – The majority of Bulgarians believe that Schengen is among the main achievements of the European Union (EU), according to Eurobarometer survey data presented by the European Commission.

According to 76% of Bulgarian respondents, Schengen firstly offers the opportunity to interact with people from other cultures; 74% say the borderless area benefits business; 66% believe Schengen has more advantages than disadvantages. Over 60% of Bulgarian respondents say Schengen improves security, and more than 50% believe that in the coming years more efforts should be made to guard the EU’s external borders.

A total of 21% of Bulgarian companies report that the country’s membership in Schengen leads to lower costs in their operations, and 13% say it is important for their customers. According to 82% of Bulgarian businesses, Schengen creates business opportunities, but 62% of responses indicate that companies do not maintain business relationships with partners in Schengen countries.

In a discussion at the European Parliament in Strasbourg earlier this week, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson stated that Bulgaria and Romania have made every effort and left no stone unturned on the road to Schengen.

The EU Council will discuss on October 10 in Luxembourg the current state of Schengen legislation implementation by Bulgaria and Romania. Hungary, as the EU Council president until the end of the year, earlier expressed an expectation that a decision will be reached in the coming months to lift the checks on the land Schengen borders of both countries.

Bulgarian authorities expect the decision to be made by the end of the year, said in September the head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria Yordanka Chobanova. A similar expectation was expressed by the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson in June.

Austria was the only EU country that last year did not fully support the lifting of checks on the Bulgarian and Romanian Schengen borders, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban confirmed this week in Strasbourg that Vienna has not yet changed its position. (7-8.10.2024)