Brussels, 25/10/2005 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday, the European Commission published its 2005 regular reports on Bulgaria and Romania, noting progress by both countries but giving them a warning on EU membership. 'Immediate and decisive corrective action' must be taken (over the next six months) to deal with issues of 'serious concern', like the fight against corruption, reforming the legal system and administrative structure, food safety and human rights and minority rights. 'These are areas where, unless the countries take immediate and decisive corrective action, they will not be ready at the envisaged date of accession,' (1 January 2007), explains the Commission. In April or May 2006, the European Commission will be making its final recommendation to the Member States on whether to apply safeguard clauses in the Accession Treaty, postponing the date of accession for both countries by a year, until 1 January 2008. The European Parliament will be consulted before the Commission makes it recommendation to the Council.
'We have … identified a limited number of issues of serious concern, covering approximately 10% of the acquis areas,' Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn told the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday, unveiling the Commission's regular reports on Bulgaria and Romania. 'These are areas where, unless the countries take immediate and decisive corrective action, they will not be ready at the envisaged date of accession,' he added: 'The failure to obtain even a single significant conviction for high-level corruption in recent years, despite commonly available information on its scale, is a cause of serious concern in both countries. Urgent efforts are needed here,' said Rehn. 'To manage EU funds, an overall reinforcement of the administrative structure in both countries is required.' 'In spring 2006, we will review the situation and we may recommend, if needed, to postpone accession by one year. We obviously hope that steps undertaken by both countries will lead us to conclude that such a recommendation is not necessary,' Rehn told MEPs.
Bulgaria. Bulgaria continues to meet the political criteria but there are shortcomings. The functioning of the legal system must be improved, cutting the legal backlog and combatting the endemic organised crime and corruption. The Commission warns that improvement is needed on human rights and the protection of minorities (especially the Rom), protecting children, protecting people suffering from mental illness, and integrating the Rom. On economic criteria, the Commission says Bulgaria is still a viable market economy and if it continues with the current pace of reform, it should be able to cope with competition and market forces in the Common Market. Bulgaria has maintained a high level of macroeconomic stability, strong economic growth, relatively low inflation and falling levels of unemployment. On the third accession criterion, the transposition and application of EU law ('acquis'), Bulgaria is showing satisfactory progress overall and should therefore be able to meet the accession requirements at the envisaged date as long as it steps up its efforts. The issues of 'serious concern' for Bulgaria are food safety, administrative structures and paying agencies for EU Structural Funds, tackling corruption and fighting organised crime.
Romania. Romania is continuing to meet the political criteria but serious work is needed in reform of public administration, properly putting into practice reforms of the judicial system and stepping up the fight against corruption, including high level corruption. On human rights and the protection of minorities, extra work is required to improve living conditions for people suffering mental and/or physical handicaps. On the economic criteria, the Commission says Romania is still a viable market economy. Rigorous implementation of its structural reform programme should enable it to cope with competitive pressure and market forces in the Common Market. It has maintained macroeconomic stability but must step up its privatisation programme, asserts the Commission. The legal framework for business and corporate governance, especially the application of bankruptcy decisions, has to be improved. On transposition of the Community acquis, Romania is expected to be ready at the envisaged date as long as it steps up its efforts in various domains and focusses on boosting overall administrative capacity. The issues of 'serious concern' for Romania are farming and veterinary services, administrative structures and paying agencies for EU Structural Funds, polluting industries and stamping out corruption.
MEPs generally agree on importance of ensuring both countries really meet the criteria before they join the EU
The reports were generally welcomed in the debate (which Europe will be returning to) following Rehn's unveiling of them, with most MEPs sharing the European Commission's analysis of the situation, particularly the need to stamp out corruption. Speaking on behalf of the EPP-ED, Elmar Brok said the Commission was showing Bulgaria and Romania a yellow card, and said his political group would be examining in a highly critical way in the spring of next year whether the identified problems have actually be solved. Rapporteur on Romania, Pierre Moscovici (PES, France), said the Commission had done 'rigorous and objective work' revealing both progress and shortcomings. He said it was too early to speak with certainty about the actual accession date, since the key to joining the EU in 2007 was in the hands of Bulgarians and Romanians themselves. Nobody wants the safety clauses to be used, said Moscovici, but the option cannot be ruled out. German ALDE MEP Alexander Graf Lambsdorff agreed that the Commission had done some extraordinary work and Bulgaria and Romania must now immediately tackle the issues where work is required because only results would count in the spring of next year. Dutch Green Joost Langendijk said the reports revealed both progress and problems, but the EP's job was to focus on the problems and if these had not been solved by April 2006, the EP would have to consider postponing accession to 2008.