The day in 3 news: Schengen entry possible in October, EU aid for poor harvest, Bulgaria leads in police spending

The day in 3 news: Schengen entry possible in October, EU aid for poor harvest, Bulgaria leads in police spending

© Велко Ангелов


Bulgaria Schengen entry to be proposed in October

On October 10th, the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council, together with the European Commission, will propose the admission of Bulgaria and Romania into the land-based Schengen zone, announced the European Commission's representative in Bulgaria, Yordanka Chobanova, at a conference in Sofia today.

The meeting of EU interior ministers is scheduled for the 10th, and according to Chobanova, Bulgaria is already fully integrated into Schengen which means a decision on full membership is likely to be made by the end of the year.

Both Bulgaria and Romania joined the air and sea Schengen zone at the end of March. The member states later decided to discuss their admission through land borders, while working to convince Austria to lift its veto as the decision requires unanimous approval.

EU provides 11 million euros for poor corn and sunflower harvest

On Monday, the European Commission proposed allocating 10.9 million euros to compensate local corn and sunflower producers affected by drought. The aid is part of a 120 million euro package that will also benefit Romania, Germany, Italy, and Estonia.

The funding is expected to be approved on October 7, and will then be transferred to the government, which must distribute it by the end of April 2025. Before that, the government must inform Brussels of the criteria it will use to ensure fair distribution without overcompensation or distortion of competition, according to the Commission.

Bulgaria's government also has the right to supplement the aid with an additional 21.8 million euros from the national budget.

Bulgaria Leads EU in spending on police

Bulgaria allocates the highest percentage of its GDP to police and security compared to other EU countries, with spending ranging from 0.7% in Ireland to 2.5% in Bulgaria, according to Zornitsa Slavova from the Institute for Market Economics. Slavova adds that over 88% of employees in the Ministry of Interior do not engage in investigations, public order enforcement, or crime prevention.

"What's even more shocking is that despite the growing budget, 90% of it goes to salaries. Yet, field officers neither receive high pay nor work under good conditions," Slavova noted.

Bulgaria Schengen entry to be proposed in October

On October 10th, the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council, together with the European Commission, will propose the admission of Bulgaria and Romania into the land-based Schengen zone, announced the European Commission's representative in Bulgaria, Yordanka Chobanova, at a conference in Sofia today.

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