*Bulgaria made "essential progress" in fighting graft-Merkel
*Germany to assess fairly Sofia's bid to join Schengen zone
*Roma expulsions from France not linked to Schengen bid
SOFIA, Oct 11 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel
hailed Bulgaria's efforts on Monday to crack down on organised
crime and corruption but stopped short of supporting its bid to
join the European Union's Schengen zone of passport-free travel.
The centre-right government of Prime Minister Boiko Borisov
has acted on its pledge to clean up Bulgaria's image as the most
corrupt EU country since coming to power in July 2009.
Prosecutors have charged several former ministers with abuse
of power and misappropriation of funds, and police have taken a
harder line on organised crime, arresting scores of criminals
suspected of kidnappings, tax fraud and car thefts.
"I can definitely say that... the government of Mr Borisov
has made very important steps in fighting organised crime and
corruption in the country. I want to underline it. This is
essential progress," Merkel told a news conference on a visit to
Sofia.
She said Germany would look closely into Bulgaria's bid to
join the Schengen area and give a "fair and just" assessment in
November, when EU ministers decide on the issue.
Bulgaria and neighbouring Romania, the most recent EU
members who acceded in 2007, are seeking to join a zone spanning
25 states where people can freely cross internal borders between
member countries.
Merkel said Bulgaria's bid to join the area would depend on
its ability to ensure the security of EU's outer border and was
not linked with other political issues, such as its position on
France's expulsions of Romanian and Bulgarian Roma.
"The question is to have no corruption in issuing Schengen
visas. We have to be sure everything is done according to the
law. The Roma issue has nothing to do with that," she said.
France has sent about 8,000 Roma back to Romania and
Bulgaria this year, bulldozing illegal camps where they were
living on the outskirts of cities, prompting Brussels to
threaten Paris with legal action if its fails to prove the
expulsions were lawful.
In August, France has called on the EU executive to force
Romania to stem the flow of Roma leaving the country, suggesting
it could block Bucharest's entry to the Schengen zone.
[ID:nLDE67O0CB]
On Monday, Borisov repeated that Bulgaria has no problem
with the repatriations as only 41 Bulgarian Roma had returned to
the Balkan country voluntarily.
(Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova, editing by Paul Taylor)
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