Deputy Prime Minister Maria Gabriel at a meeting with Vera Jourova: The EC's support for Bulgaria's Schengen membership remains firm
27 October 2023 News
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Gabriel met with European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova.The Commissioner is in Bulgaria at the invitation of Maria Gabriel to participate in the first annual meeting of the Balkan Constitutional Forum.
Maria Gabriel's talks with European representatives again focused on Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area. "I thank the European Commission for the strong and consistent support expressed for Bulgaria's accession to Schengen. The message is clear and unambiguous - Bulgaria should be in Schengen."
Maria Gabriel recalled that in September this year. The European Commission has decided to terminate the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism for Bulgaria. "The Government continues its active work on the implementation of the recommendations of the Annual Rule of Law Report 2023. I would like to thank the European Commission for the decision to suspend the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. This is a recognition of the government's efforts and the sustainability of the reforms".
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that a key priority of the government is the continuation of the justice reform. Constitutional changes are important in this area. Mariya Gabriel said that the draft amendments to the Constitution had been consulted with the Venice Commission and its opinion would be taken into account in the procedure.