By Bruno Waterfield - 6th October 2004
Bucharest and Sofia are on track for a January 1 2007 EU destination, Brussels reported on Wednesday.
EU enlargement chief Günter Verhuegen gave both countries the green light but warned both Romania and Bulgaria that there was work to be done.
The European Commission is optimistic that both countries – “coupled” for EU entry talks – will make the grade, even if Romania has fallen behind.
“For the year 2007 we feel that accession may be appropriate and these two countries will be ready by then,” Verhuegen said.
“Negotiations with Bulgaria are technically speaking closed. We wish to conclude negotiations with Romania by the end of the year, we are aware that this will be difficult.”
EU is watching
Like other new EU hopefuls both Bulgaria and, especially, Romania are signing up to Europe with work left to do on commission required reforms.
Verhuegen has given Sofia and Bucharest the next two years to implement key justice, political and competition reforms and Brussels will be watching.
“There will then be two years in which both countries will have to fulfil the obligations which they have undertaken. This is something that will be very strictly monitored,” he said.
“If in the intervening period it appears that one country or both countries are not fulfilling obligations there is a super safeguard clause provided for which will mean that accession can be delayed for a year.”
Monitoring and surveillance based on the experience of the last wave of EU enlargement to ten mainly East and Central European countries is to be built into an EU membership treaty.
“The result of accession negotiations in terms of agreed transitional arrangements and the technical adaptations to the [EU rulebook] as a result of enlargement will be embodied in the accession treaty,” states the commission report.
“Work on the drafting of this treaty started in July 2004. The objective is to sign the accession treaty as early as possible in 2005 in order for it to enter into force on 1 January 2007.”
Romania
Despite falling behind on key EU competition, anti-corruption and justice rules, Bucharest has been awarded the merit of being “a functioning market economy”.
Romania’s leader Adrian Nastase stressed that the commission’s OK “acknowledges the huge progress our country has made on its way to EU membership”.
“This does not mean that our work is done. In fact, it means that much hard work is just beginning,” he said.
“The report details many areas where we must make more progress – on corruption, on press freedom, on modernising our infrastructure.”
“We recognise the need to do more on all these fronts. It is a challenge for our whole country. It is a challenge we will meet, just as we have met the challenges so far along this road.”
Bulgaria
Sofia is quietly confident that EU leaders will make a date with Bulgaria this December.
"Our understanding is that the signature of the accession treaty can take place in the first months of 2005," said a spokesman.
"We also remain convinced that Bulgaria, as in the present, will continue be assessed on its own merits."
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