Schengen Area

Secretary of State for European Affairs George Ciamba in Luxembourg on Tuesday participated in the General Affairs Council meeting, the discussions having focused mainly on the preparation of the Summer European Council meeting (June 26-27, 2014), granting the candidate status to Albania, the annual exercise European Semester of coordinating the economic policies in the EU and the

Austria's Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz assesses positively Bulgaria's progress for Schengen area accession.

Kurz voiced his support for Bulgaria's entrance into Schengen during a meeting with his counterpart Kristian Vigenin in Vienna, Standartnews reported.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta says that Italy is a positive example of how the peoples of Europe can live together and respect each other.

Romania’s Anti-Corruption Department said in its latest progress report that 850 people, including ministers, lawmakers, mayors, judges and prosecutors, were convicted of corruption over the past 12 months.

Among those convicted were four ministers or ex-ministers and five MPs, among them former Prime Minister Adrian Nastase, who was found guilty for a second time in January.

As Marine Le Pen, who heads France’s far-right National Front (FN), tries to form a eurosceptic group in Brussels with other like-minded political movements, take a look at her party’s policies. The FN doesn't like being called "far right". But it remains unashamedly protectionist and populist, while espousing a strong desire to reduce immigration – especially from Africa.

Italy supports Bulgaria's Schengen bid, according to Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin.

Speaking Friday after a meeting with his Italian counterpart Federica Mogherini, Vigenin announced that Italy and Bulgaria would also work together on the implementation of the South Stream gas pipeline.

Prime Minister Milanovic on Thursday said that Croatia would apply join the Schengen zone on July 1, 2015, two years after joining the European club.

"One year ago, I said that one of our cabinet's major goals would be to make Croatia fit to formally apply for membership of the Schengen zone in the shortest possible time after joining the EU, that is, two years," Milanovic said.

Moldova on Monday became the first country east of the EU whose citizens have the right to visa-free travel to the 26 European countries that comprise the Schengen area.

Moldova won the approval of the EU for the change after undertaking a series of reforms, including providing secure travel documents and improving border and migration management.

Moldova's citizens will soon be able to travel to the EU's border-free Schengen area without a visa, under a draft law approved by Parliament on Thursday.

Militant Islamists living in the European Union have tried to cross Greece’s borders on their way to back the armed struggle against the Assad regime in Syria, Greek security officials have told Sunday’s Kathimerini.