“Bulgaria should definitely become part of Schengen, given that she fulfills all requirements. It is a fact that this is a matter of trust. Some countries have decided that they cannot trust Bulgaria. They have made a connection with the cooperation and verification mechanism”, said John Rowan, ambassador for Ireland in Sofia, in an interview for Dnevnik.
“We do not support that, however some do. In our view the disturbed parties shall see accelerated legal reforms and then trust will follow. This is a type of behavior some countries adhere to, which does not refer to the technical requirements for joining Schengen, but rather to the fact that trust is needed – that Bulgaria is a developed country which can be part of the area. We hope you will manage to apply the reform programme as soon as possible and it will be the way for you to get the trust of all EU members.”
Commenting on the past elections within the judiciary, the ambassador explained that the problem lies in the lack of clear understanding of the procedure before the election for the Supreme Judicial Council itself. More publicity was needed, believes Mr. Rowan. As a whole he views the elections as strong ones, being prerequisites for strong mandates. He does not think the system was bad. He was rather impressed by the programme which the SJC has developed.
He defines the slow administrative process as a problem, which blocks investor interest in the country. In order to build trust in investors, Bulgaria needs transparency, foreseeable and objective judiciary, thinks the ambassador. He says many companies started their business here and soon after the problems arose.
Mr. Rowan things changes are already happening and they would become easier with time, but they need to speed up. The judiciary does not work so well and all old problems must be overcome, he concludes.