Bulgaria closes EU membership talks

Bulgaria’s EU membership negotiations are “provisionally closed” paving the way for Sofia to join Europe’s club in 2007.

Sofia’s adoption of EU legislation appears to have satisfied Europe’s foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg.

The European Commission is now expected to compile a final report this autumn allowing Bulgaria to sign an ‘accession’ EU membership treaty ahead of the country’s national elections in June 2005.

Irish foreign minister Brian Cowen regards the breakthrough as a success of Dublin’s six month EU presidency.

“I am pleased to report that all chapters in the negotiations with Bulgaria are now provisionally closed,” he said on Monday night.

“This is a hugely important moment for Bulgaria and we are delighted to share it with them.”

The country's foreign minister Solomon Passy heralded the development as a “a big European day for Bulgaria”.

Bulgarian Europe minister and lead negotiator Meglena Kuneva hailed successful negotiations.

“Bulgaria concluded the negotiations with the EU at the best possible time and in the best possible way,” she said.

According Bulgarian press reports the EU has granted Sofia an extra €240 million in aid on top of a €4.3 billion package.

“We achieved a five per cent increase of the earlier announced financial framework,” Kuneva told the Bulgarian News Network.

“This is the maximum that we can achieve.”

But talks have not all been sweetness and light: “bitter” negotiations over the shutdown of two Bulgarian nuclear reactors – an EU precondition - have sparked domestic opposition.

Bulgarian parliamentarians are angry over the Kozloduy shutdown deadline of 2006 – nuclear power plants which provide nearly half of the country's electricity needs.

EU membership talks also continue with Romania, though Bucharest continues to lag behind Bulgaria.

Both countries have - to date - had EU membership hopes for 2007 'coupled'.

“Let me say also, in relation to Romania, that very significant progress has been made; a real momentum has been established,” said Cowen.

The green light for Sofia will fuel concerns that Bulgaria may be forced to wait until Romania – which is flagging behind on EU demanded reforms – plays catch up.

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