Brussels/Strasbourg, May 30 (BTA Correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) - EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos and a few political groups of the European Parliament (EP) expressed once again on Tuesday evening support for Bulgaria's and Romania's Schengen accession. The MEPs discussed a report on the functioning of the border-free area.

According to Avramopoulos, Bulgaria and Romania will make Schengen more secure. He urged the Council of the EU to approve the two countries accession.

The European People's Party (EPP) group also supported Bulgaria's and Romania's accession, noting that the temporary re-introduction of checks along the Union's internal borders is a sign of undermined trust, in turn related to the shortcomings of the asylum policy.

It is about time for Bulgaria and Romania to join Schengen, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) group said.

The European United Left also supported Bulgaria and Romania, but added that Schengen is an expression of the governments' failure in the fight against terrorism and money laundering.

Filiz Hyusmenova (MRF/ALDE) said that Bulgaria and Romania have fulfilled the Schengen criteria seven years ago, which is noted in the report discussed by the EP. Schengen would be stronger if the two countries were part of it, and the arguments against this are purely political, she added.

Asim Ademov (GERB/EPP) said that the EP is obliged to protect citizens' rights by fighting for Schengen's preservation. Solidarity calls for Bulgaria's and Romania's immediate accession to the border-free area, which will contribute to security in the EU, he said, adding that the two countries protect reliably the Union's external borders.

Emil Radev (GERB/EPP) noted that the EU and Schengen are indivisible, adding that in reality Bulgaria is a part of it and the time has come for a political decision to be made.