Romania and Bulgaria might join Schengen in stages at the end of 2012 / Foreign police officers at Romania’s borders – French minister 

Romania and Bulgaria might join Schengen in several stages and might become effective as of the end of 2012 French Interior Minister Claude Gueant announced on Thursday at Luxembourg, quoted by AFP. He said that foreign police officers will be stationed at Romanian borders.

We need guarantees in Romania’s fight against corruption which may mean that we could proceed in stages, as Germany proposed, the minister said. A first stage would be in 2011 fall with the opening of the air frontiers, in the presence of police officers from other EU states he said.

He added Romania and Bulgaria agree. The second stage, in 2012 will be the opening of terrestrial borders with the help of customs police from other EU countries. He said that a full Schengen adhesion will happened at the end of 2012 and is something that everybody considers.