Strasbourg, 27/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - Reactions from MEPs to the Commission's reports on Bulgaria and Romania (EUROPE 9273) have almost all been positive and warm, although many of the congratulations expressed at the European Parliament and in the socio-economic communities of the EU have been accompanied by a warning to the two countries to not relent in the pursuance of reforms beyond 1 January 2007. Among the main political groups at the EP, only the Greens expressed any severe criticism, not on the political and historic necessity of integrating Bulgaria and Romania but on the way and the general context in which this enlargement was prepared and decided.
On behalf of the EPP-ED group, its president Hans-Gert Pöttering, welcomed the decision as “a return to the unified European family to which they have always belonged”. Pöttering underlined the fact that it was only in recalling from where the two countries came, “after 40 years of communism, without rule of law or democracy” that they could understand the scale of the gigantic efforts made by the Bulgarian and Romania people and their accomplishments of the last ten years. However, he said that this historic moment should not hide the deficits that remain in fighting corruption, Community fund management and Community implementation in general. Pöttering said that “it will be irresponsible to close one's eyes in regard to these failings” which have to be corrected as soon as possible. He added that they hoped that Bulgaria and Romania will make the necessary efforts during the coming months and that safeguard measures could be avoided but that “this will at the end of the day depend on the two countries themselves”. Addressing the Bulgarian and Romania people, the Head of the EPP-ED said that access to the EU will not be “heaven on earth”, as the reality risked going rapidly down after the current euphoria “but I hope that the dynamism that you bring will strengthen the spirit of cooperation between Member States, as it is only by acting together that we will have a future” in this enlarged Union. Mr Pöttering appealed in this context “for maintaining the substance of the European Constitution”. (Wilfried Martens, the president of the European People's Party (EPP), also welcomed the Commission reports: the affiliated Bulgarian and Romanian parties will become full members of the EPP in 2007, he explained in a press release).
Speaking for the PES group, its president Martin Schulz, expressed himself in the same vein. He described the accession of Bulgaria and Romania as the continuation of an enlargement project which is “unique in the world”, adding, “Yes, we welcome the two countries. This is about the reunification of Europe, the end of the division of the European continent” of a project of enormous historical importance “of which we are proud”. He affirmed that the Bulgarian and Romania people, who fought against Communism and who accepted enormous sacrifices deserve our respect. Schulz also asserted that, “if we had decided to leave them outside, to postpone accession till 2008, it would not have improved matters. On the contrary, the insecurity of these countries in the whole of the Black Sea region would be much greater”. He concluded that it was “reasonable and just” to welcome them in 2007, “despite any scepticism and doubts that could exist” on their real state of preparedness.
Graham Watson, the president of the ALDE said that “We are two more, thus we are stronger” as the size of the EU matters in a world that is changing and in which Europe wants to defend its ideas and values. He also said that it was obvious that there was “unfinished business” in the two countries but that accompaniment and safeguard measures should help to resolve these problems. He insisted that the two governments make the required efforts very rapidly. Mr Watson also asked “Would we be better off if we left them outside? No!” He explained that European citizens had to know that this enlargement would be, like the previous ones, a “win/win situation”. (In a press release, the president of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR), Annemie Neyts, said that she wanted “the majority of the public to be correctly informed about the significant progress accomplished by Bulgaria and Romania and the preparations preceding enlargement”. The ELDR does not believe that EU enlargement should halt with the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, explained Ms Neyts' press statement. “We are entirely united in affirming that the EU has to honour its commitments to Croatia and the western Balkan countries and Turkey. Ongoing accession negotiations will take a number of years, which will allow the EU to adapt its institutions”).
Daniel Cohn-Bendit the Greens/EFA co-president severely criticised the general way in which this enlargement had been prepared and decided, exclaiming, “I have rarely seen in this Parliament a more hypocritical debate as that of today”. He added that “We decided a year ago that it was 'yes' to these two countries. I am also sure that if we had had at the time the reports we have today (26 September), we would have said 'no'”. Cohn-Bendit hammered home the fact that “Mr Barroso has just declared to us that for the next enlargement we will need institutional reform. We said that when there were ten of us, we said that when we were 12 and 15, we were saying it at 25 and we'll be saying it at 27, I promise you that we'll still be saying it at 30, 35, 40 and 45 and we'll be saying it until we're all dead”. He also affirmed, “Let's stop lying to ourselves like that. Obviously, we can't say no to the Balkans. It is obvious that the Balkans have a future in the EU. The problem is: how, when and in what circumstances can they join?” In Justice and Home Affairs the EU25 can still not decide by qualified majority (reference to the current block on the “bridging clause”: Editor's note). Mr Cohn-Bendit asked, “Do you think that it will be easier to do at 27? And how can we get the European Constitution in an EU of 27? No-one knows, no-one!” He concluded that “Yes to Bulgaria and Romania, yes to the Balkans but we are incapable of making this Europe a genuine one. And it is with an enlargement like we are currently creating that we will move towards a re-nationalisation of thinking, politics and practices”. Joost Lagendijk (Green/Netherlands) was equally clear that “based on the facts”, notably in corruption and organised crime, the Commission should have ordinarily postponed the two countries' accession but this had become “politically impossible” due the enormous expectations in favour of accession in 2007.
The GUE/NGL group is against the idea of postponing the accession of the two countries for a year, explained its president Francis Wurtz. He recognised that there were certainly some serious problems in Bulgaria and Romania and that they should not be concealed but the fact of “sending the people a message of closure would not create good conditions” to achieve the progress needed, he believed.
The co-president of the UEN, Brian Cowley, also supported the conclusions of the Commission reports. He asserted that what the two countries had achieved during the last twelve years for the adoption and implementation of the Community acquis was “phenomenal” and that Romanian and Bulgarian citizens deserved to have the “same chances as us”. However, he noted that they needed to remain permanently vigilant to guarantee that the reforms were sustained and if they were not, safeguard measures would have to be used.
Economic communities welcome accession of two countries in January 2007
The socio-economic communities also reacted positively to the Commission reports. Unice (European employers), recognised the “enormous progress” accomplished by the two countries but highlighted the need to pursue reforms and ensure the effective implementation of Community legislation in the future new members. Unice said that three “key challenges” remain for Bulgaria and Romania: strengthening the rule of law; modernisation of customs and border procedures; the ensuring full application of EU product standards. Unice said that in the event of safeguard measures becoming necessary, they should not be applied other than on a case by case basis and only for a short period.
Eurochambres, the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry, “fully supports” the Commission's conclusions. A Eurochambres press release declared that Eurochambres “has always welcomed the economic integration of candidate countries into the EU. On the other hand, we praise the Commission's decision not to hide the obstacles that still remain on the way to integration”. The association said that it saw itself as the interlocutors between enterprises and institutions to help remove the remaining hurdles.
The Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Union (SME Union) supports the Commission's recommendations and underlines that this enlargement will be beneficial to all. The SME Union highlighted in a press release that, “A key issue for a successful integration will be the repression of organised crime and money laundering which often hinder the market entrance for new competitors”. In view of reshuffling the current European Commissioners' portfolios, which will be necessary in the context of the forthcoming arrival of the two new Commissioners on 1 January 2007, the SME Union is calling for the appointment of a Commissioner to be specifically responsible for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.