12/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - Romania and Bulgaria still need to meet a number of challenges. The Council of Ministers of the EU noted on Monday 12 September the most recent Commission reports on the progress accomplished by Bulgaria and Romania within the cooperation and verification mechanism. The Council notes that Bulgaria still has some serious challenges to meet. It must “still make progress and achieve convincing results in the fight against high-level corruption and organised crime”. The Commission has illustrated a number of challenges that Romania has to overcome in connection with the timely resolution of several important high-level corruption cases and the efficiency of the fight against corruption (efforts are still required in the confiscation of unjustified assets, speeding up high level corruption case trials and recovering the proceeds of crime). In summer 2012, the Commission will present a comprehensive assessment of the progress accomplished by Bulgaria and Romania since 1 January 2007 under the cooperation and verification mechanism. (L.C./transl.fl)