France and Germany's Interior Ministers have sent the European Commission a letter requesting the postponement of Romania and Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen Area, according to Mediafax newswire. The letter was addressed to the EC, the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, as well as the upcoming Hungarian Presidency of the Council, due to begin on January 1, 2011.

The request mentions Romania's failures to fulfill some of the objectives undertaken as part of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) regarding corruption, justice and the fight against organized crime, although the letter points out that no formal connections should be made between the Schengen Area and the CVM. It also takes note of problems with border management and asylum policy.

Mediafax