Bulgarians welcome to the UK, says Lidington
“All Bulgarian citizens who come legally to work and study in the United Kingdom, pay taxes and contribute to society, are welcome and will continue to be welcome,” said David Lidington, British Minister for Europe, aftertalks with Bulgarian foreign minister Kristian Vigenin in Sofia.
In this way, Lidington cleared the doubts and confirmed that Britain will lift the currently applied labour and residence restrictions against Bulgarians on its territory from 1 January 2014 in accordance with European legislation.
According to Bulgarian media, the British minister disassociated with publications in media in his country against the lifting of restrictions against Bulgarians and Romanians, stressing that the media on the island were independent.
Lidington also assured that whatever reforms take place the UK; they will be applied equally to all citizens of the European Union.
Meanwhile, the authorities in Sofia also made clear they are expecting continued active discussions with their European partners under the Lithuanian Presidency in the second half of 2013 on Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area.
The issue did not find a resolution during the outgoing Irish Presidency. “Apparently, the Council does not agree on the issue of Bulgaria and Romania’s Schengen accession and we will try to look at the possibilities to provide a solution,” said Lithuania’s Permanent Representative to the EU, Raimundas Karoblis, in early June. He added that the Lithuanian presidency plans to work closely with both Bulgaria and Romania on the one hand, and the EU institutions and opposing member states on the other in breaking the deadlock in the Council.
The Lithuanian permanent representative also said that some developments on the issue of Schengen accession of Bulgaria and Romania are expected at the end of the year. At the meeting of the Justice and home affairs Council in March, it was decided that the Council will address the issue again by the end of 2013 ”with a view to considering the way forward on the basis of a two-step approach”.
Source: http://www.neurope.eu
(03.07.2013)