Bulgaria's full membership in Schengen will save the economy millions of euros

The direct losses for Bulgaria from the delayed full accession to the Schengen Area amount to EUR 424 million, caretaker Minister of Economy Petko Nikolov said. He quoted a report by the Economic Research Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, commissioned by the Ministry of Economy.

 At a discussion in Sofia on the priorities of the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union and their repercussions on the Bulgarian political agenda, Minister Nikolov pointed out that the direct losses should be added to the lost profits of around EUR 275 million. Thus, the potential benefits from removing land border controls exceed EUR 680 million annually. Additionally, the accession to Schengen by land will reduce carbon emissions from traffic. "Transport connectivity will improve, trade and investment flows will increase and travel time and costs will decrease", summarized Minister Nikolov.