Answer given by Mr Avramopoulos on behalf of the European Commission

4.4.2019

The Commission is aware of the allegations of payments having been made in exchange for the issue of fake certificates of Bulgarian origin under the Bulgarian naturalisation scheme, and also notes that the national authorities have opened an investigation into these allegations. The Commission expects such allegations to be diligently investigated.

The Commission fully supports the full application by Bulgaria of the Schengen acquis since the verification in accordance with the applicable Schengen evaluation procedure concluded that the necessary conditions for the application of all parts of the acquis concerned have been met. Both President Juncker in his state of the Union address of 13 September 2017 and Commissioner Avramopoulos during the debate at the European Parliament plenary session on 13 December 2017, have called for an immediate full membership of Bulgaria to Schengen in order to strengthen the external borders of the European Union and the Schengen area.

Nevertheless, according to the Act of accession of Bulgaria[1], it is for the Council to decide on the full application of the Schengen acquis and the lifting of internal border and this decision requires unanimity.

• [1] Article 4(2) of the Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania and the adjustments to the treaties on which the European Union is founded, OJ L 157, 21.6.2005, p. 203.