Bulgaria and Romania have ensured even better protection of the EU's external borders than at the first check in October, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said. This was the conclusion of a high-level expert mission that inspected these two countries two weeks ago, she added.

Asked to comment on Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's suggestion that the Bulgarian border could be crossed for €50, she replied: "We do not have that information. On Thursday all reports will be on the table. They show that Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia meet all the requirements for full Schengen membership. I expect this to be the result of the vote".