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NewsRescue
Hungary will bar Bulgaria from entering the EU’s passport-free Schengen zone unless Sofia lifts its transit fee on Russian gas, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto threatened in a Facebook video aired on Saturday. If required, Budapest will exercise its veto authority in the European Council, according to Szijjarto.
“We have made it clear to the Bulgarians that if they keep this in place for long, if they jeopardise the safety of Hungary’s energy supply for long, then we will veto their Schengen entry,” he said, calling Bulgaria’s tax “scandalous and hostile,” and “completely contrary to European legislation,” as it risks cutting off gas supplies to Hungary and other EU countries that receive Russian gas through Bulgaria.
Sofia imposed an additional tax of 20 Bulgarian lev ($10.76) per megawatt-hour of Russian natural gas entering Bulgaria in October. Hungary, which relies on Russia for most of its gas needs, called the measure “unacceptable,” saying it poses a threat to Hungary’s energy security. Budapest has been pressuring Sofia to cancel it ever since.
According to media sources, Bulgarian and Hungarian authorities discussed the tax during the last week and have already struck a preliminary agreement. Szijjarto stated in his Facebook video that a decision on Bulgaria’s Schengen membership will be taken next week, and that “that’s why they suddenly started trying hard to eliminate this tariff.”
“If they do, we will also reverse our decision on the veto,” stated the foreign minister.
