Bulgaria's land-based entry into the Schengen Zone in 2025 is unlikely, according to Nikola Stoyanov, the former minister of economy.

As an economic triumph, he says, Schengen is more significant for the products than for the people.

Despite Bulgaria and Romania's admission to the Schengen Zone by air and sea on March 31, their land border accession is still pending.

In the program “The Day ON Air” Stoyanov said that the Eurozone and all policies in the financial and economic sphere have led to the point that there is “absolutely no chance” in 2025 Bulgaria to be admitted to the Schengen Area in terms of land borders.

The Former Minister of Economy said that the Consumer Protection Commission fulfils its function very well.

He argued that Bulgaria is several times below the average coefficient of useful action.

Borderland Integration Would Maximise Contributions

Earlier this month, Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament (MPE) Radan Kanev, said that membership of Bulgaria to the Schengen Zone in terms of land borders would help with smuggling at the borders due to strict border controls that would be introduced by the European institutions.

In addition, the European Parliament also urged for the abolishment of land border controls for Bulgaria and Romania by the end of this year, in order to avoid long queues of trucks at both countries’ land borders.

However, the Council of the European Union previously said that the date for land border accession for these two countries would only be decided after March 31, once the air and sea controls are abolished.

Unlike the Former Minister of Economy, Nikola Stoyanov, in February this year, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, said that the Netherlands is optimistic that Bulgaria’s land border accession to the Schengen Zone would be finished by the end of this year.