Bulgaria fully applies Schengen legislation and has achieved substantial progress across key areas of cooperation, including external borders, return, internal security, visas and data protection, according to an assessment by the European Commission (EC), presented in Sofia by Olivier Onidi, Deputy Director-General of the EC’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs and Schengen Coordinator, the Interior Ministry said on Friday.
The main purpose of Onidi’s visit to the capital was to present the report from Bulgaria’s first periodic evaluation of its implementation of Schengen legislation, conducted in November 2025. A number of good practices were identified across the different areas of cooperation. Recommendations were also made to continue introducing new technologies and modernizing information systems, ensuring sufficient human and technical resources within the competent authorities, and providing adequate staff training.
During the visit, a strategic-level meeting chaired by Deputy Interior Minister Ivan Anchev was also held, at which the main conclusions of the report were presented to all key Interior Ministry structures involved in the various areas of Schengen cooperation, as well as to the Foreign Ministry and the Commission for Personal Data Protection.
Active communication between Bulgaria and the European Commission is expected to continue in the coming months in order to finalize the report. After its formal adoption by the Council’s working bodies and the EC, an action plan will be prepared to address the recommendations made to Bulgaria, the statement said.
Onidi also met with caretaker Interior Minister Emil Dechev.
As head of the EC team overseeing Bulgaria’s preparations for the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, Onidi also held a meeting with relevant structures of the Interior Ministry, the State Agency for Refugees, the Ombudsman’s Office and the National Legal Aid Bureau. He commended the commitment of Bulgarian institutions, the progress achieved and their readiness to fulfil the obligations arising from the Pact adopted in June 2025.
Onidi last visited Bulgaria on a two-day trip in 2024.
/VL/