Brussels, 18/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - The majority of the members of the committee on foreign affairs of the European Parliament spoke out this week in favour of the European Parliament's involvement in the monitoring process of Bulgaria and Romania between now and their accession to the EU (planned for 1 January 2007), but also in making decisions, if required, on postponing the accession of either country until 2008. This is made possible by the special safeguard clause which Bulgaria and Romania- unlike the previous candidates- had to agree to when their accession negotiations were closed. In virtue of this clause, the Council- on recommendation of the Commission- may decide in 2006 to postpone the accession of both countries by a year (until 2008) if it transpires that they have not taken all the measures necessary in time to implement the Community acquis. Formally, the competencies of the EP in the accession process end with its assent, which it is expected to give at the plenary of 13 April, but the MEPs are looking for ways of remaining involved. The MEPs would like to hear the opinion of the Commission and the Council on this before proceeding to the vote on the accession of Bulgaria and Romania at the committee on foreign affairs on 30 March. On 29 March, the Commissioner for Enlargement, Olli Rehn, will address the parliamentary committee.
During the debate in the committee this week, most MEPs stressed how important it was for Bulgaria and Romania to join the EU together, even though the EP's rapporteur on Bulgaria, the British Conservative Geoffrey van Orden, believes that it would be unfair for Bulgaria, which has few outstanding problems compared to Romania, to be obliged to delay its accession for a year because of Romanian issues. The draft report on Romania, by French Socialist Pierre Moscovici, listed many more problems for Romania, from administrative and legal reforms to corruption and freedom of the press, via local and regional administration, the protection of children, State aid and the environment. However, the change of government in Romania is seen as a very important step in the right direction. Spaniard José Milan Mon (EPP-ED) noted that the new Romanian government had launched an ambitious programme to speed up and improve the reforms needed and Joost Lagendijk (Greens, Netherlands) said that the previous government had been part of the problem itself and that it would be unfair to punish the new government for the mistakes of the old. Four months is not long enough for the new government to reap results, and the EP should be able to follow subsequent developments in Romania, Mr Lagendijk concluded.