Schengen Area

German Chancellor Angela Merkel questioned the usefulness of the fence which is being built by FYROM on its border with Greece in an interview with German newspaper Stuttgarter Zeitung.

The European Commission has awarded EUR 12.7 M in emergency funding to Greece to support the establishment of reception facilities on the Greek mainland.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov will participate in the meeting of the leaders of the Visegrad Group countries in Prague on Monday.

The meeting will mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Visegrad Group, which brings together the countries of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

Germany is voicing disagreement with Central European EU member states which have suggested Bulgaria and Macedonia should get a stronger role in EU border protection.

During a meeting in Sofia on Friday, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and the leader of the Party of European Socialists (PES) Sergei Stanishev discussed the ongoing migrant crisis in Europe and the accession of Bulgaria to the Schengen Area.

EU member states on Friday gave Greece three months to remedy "serious deficiencies" in controlling the migrant influx or effectively face suspension from Europe's Schengen zone of passport-free travel, AFP reported.

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has asked the European Commission to help normalize traffic through Greece's border with Bulgaria.

EU member states gave Greece a three-month ultimatum to remedy “deficiencies” in controlling the migrant flow or face border controls with the rest of the Schengen passport-free zone.

Bank of Greece governor Yannis Stournaras said that a first review of the Greek economic program, which already has been delayed, must be completed rapidly, otherwise there will be catastrophic consequences for Greece’s economy.

Official documents reveal that Turkey and EU have been involved in discussions behind the scenes.

It is not a coincidence that EU pushes Greece to deal with the refugee flow threatening Greece with Schengen area expulsion, while member states do not put any pressure on Turkey which has not honored yet its commitments about the refugee issue.