Brussels, 01/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - Membership negotiations with Bulgaria and Romania will enter their final phase this week with important deputy-level talks in Brussels on 4 June. At the meeting, Bulgaria, which has already concluded talks on 26 of the 30 chapters, could wind up negotiations on the three financial chapters; agriculture, regional policy and budget. "We hope to be able to close the chapters on agriculture, regional policy and budget" confirmed Bulgarian European Affairs Minister Meglena Kuneva in an interview with Reuters. In this case, only one more chapter would remain on the table (competition), which could potentially be concluded at the ministers meeting on 15 June in Luxembourg. This would mean that Bulgaria (who aims to join the EU in January 2007) could fully finalise its membership negotiations under the Irish Presidency.
Romania, which still has 8 chapters to negotiate, also intends to make progress in the Friday talks, even hoping to close two additional chapters; agriculture and budget. The other dossiers still pending are freedom to provide services, regional policy, competition, energy, environment and justice and home affairs.
The agricultural package that the EU has just offered Bulgaria and Romania is practically identical to that offered to the ten former candidate countries that became members on 1 May. On the most sensitive aspect - direct subsidies to farmers - the EU is offering the same deal accepted by the ten new Member States; 25% of the normal level in 2007 (first year following membership), 30% in 2008, 35% in 2009 and 40% in 2010. The level of subsidies will subsequently rise by 10% a year, to arrive at 100% (ie. on an equal footing with subsidies received by today's member countries) in 2016.