General Affairs Council

Bulgaria has called again on the EU to recognize the need for protection of the country's land and maritime borders with Turkey from a possible shifting of migration inflow following the closure of the Western Balkans route.

Bulgaria needs to "consolidate and reinforce its overall resolve" to step up judicial reform and pursue and independent analysis of the prosecutor's office, the Council of the EU believes.

EU member states' governments are set to vote Tuesday on conclusions based on reports prepared by the EU Commission about the judicial system and anti-corruption measures of Bulgaria and Romania.

Bulgaria has again asked the EU to help put an end to a blockade of the country's border with Greece by Greek farmers protesting against the new austerity measures planned by the government in Athens.

Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Kuneva has said that Bulgaria keeps insisting on being granted partial Schengen membership by air border.

Bulgaria lost three major contracts in the sphere of energy in a bid to comply with all EU recommendations, according to Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

Foreign Affairs Ministry's (MAE) Secretary of State for European Affairs George Ciamba will participate in the General Affairs Council (GAC) meeting in Brussels, on Tuesday, aimed at discussions, among others, concerning the preparation of the European Council meeting of March 19-20, informs a press release MAE remitted to AGERPRES on Monday.

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister without portfolio in charge of European integration Jadranka Joksimovic visited Brussels where she conferred with Chairman of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Countries of South East Europe Eduard Kukan and noted that Serbia's EU membership represents one of the government's priority tasks in terms of foreign policy.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his British counterpart, Phillip Hammond, are due in Bosnia later this week, to kick-start the new EU plan for the country, diplomatic sources told Balkan Insight on Wednesday.

BRUSSELS - Serbian Minister without portfolio in charge of European integration Jadranka Joksimovic said Wednesday that the EU is not setting out any new conditions for Serbia's progress in the accession negotiations, but that the details of implementation of the Brussels agreement need to be clarified.