The countries members of the EU can finance the fence along the Bulgaria-Turkey border themselves according to European Commission sources.

BNR’s correspondent in Brussels Anguelina Piskova reports that representatives of the EC are citing the 26 January letter by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to the European leaders regarding the special European Council on migration in Brussels on 9 and 10 February. The letter reads that the Bulgarian-Turkish border should be a priority in strengthening key external EU borders and that “security could be improved with EU funds and European countries could support the protection of the border between Bulgaria and Turkey on a voluntary basis.” In response, EC officials pointed out that “EC has always said that it does not fund or co-finance the construction of walls” and that countries are obliged, regardless of the infrastructure used, to make sure that asylum seekers in Europe can come and apply for asylum. But at the same time a member country can assist another country financially for the fence. This means that Bulgaria can be assisted by other countries of the community interested in building the facility.