Brussels, 31/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - Following a positive vote on Wednesday from the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee on the accession of Bulgaria and Romania (see EUROPE of yesterday, p.4), its President, the German MEP Elmar Brok (PPE-DE) underlined that the two countries will remain in the sight of the EP, which will follow “very closely” the accession preparations which must be carried out by the Bulgarian and Romanian governments in the 20 months remaining before the 1 January 2007. Romania in particular must not take its foot off the gas, and must carry out its economic and structural reforms, said Mr Brok. He left no doubt that the EP would forcefully insist on its demand to be kept involved in the monitoring process and the decision to be taken in 2006 on a possible postponement of accession (extended safeguard clause). In the political resolution on Bulgaria, drawn up by the British rapporteur Geoffrey Van Orden (PPE-DE) and adopted on Wednesday, MEPs state that the country has made remarkable progress up to now, but pick up on a range of measures still to be taken by the government. They regret that the Bulgarian parliament has not yet adopted new penal code provisions to combat corruption more effectively and call for strengthened efforts in the fight against organised crime. In economic matters, MEPs did not disguise their concern about the risk of a breakdown in energy provision across the whole region following the agreement on the closure of the Kozloduy nuclear plant. The resolution on Romania, drawn up by French MEP Pierre Moscovici (PSE), welcomes the commitments undertaken by the new government. But it also draws attention to several serious shortcomings which must yet be remedied: administrative and judicial reforms, the need to combat corruption, particularly at the highest levels, the eradication of all violence and discrimination against minorities, improving treatment of those in need of psychiatric care, ensuring improved effectiveness of border controls, and the proper application of legislation on state aid and environmental protection.