The Netherlands will try to prevent Romania and Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area, said the country’s Immigration Minister Gerd Leers during the speech he held in front of the country’s Parliament, according to Dutch media. Neither of the two countries is doing enough efforts to combat corruption, fact that was confirmed by the European Commission’s report this summer, he added.

The European Commission’s fifth report under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism released on July, 2011, showed that Romania made some progress in the fight against corruption since the last annual report issued in July 2010, but more significant steps have to be taken for better results. Read the full report about Romania (PDF version) here.

Bulgaria’s Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov said earlier this month that the decision on Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen area will be taken on September 22, according to Novinite.com. He also thinks that the two countries may join the border-free zone in July 2012.

The Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc also said recently that Romania’s Government hopes the country will join the Schengen area next year, depending on European-level decision.

Romania and Bulgaria were expected to join the Schengen area in the spring of 2011, but several European countries have opposed it, saying the country still needs to fulfill some criteria.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Sxc.hu)