By Daisy Ayliffe - 26th April 2006
Bulgaria must step up its fight against organized crime, EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn has warned.
As the clock ticks on Sofia’s bid to join the EU on January 1 next year, the commissioner said Bulgaria was not doing enough to tackle criminality or assert the independence of its judiciary.
There had been "very few investigations and prosecutions" of criminal gangs, Rehn declared in the European parliament on Wednesday.
The commissioner did however, reserve praise for amendments to the Bulgarian constitution that remove MPs’ immunity.
Officials do not rule out that the commission could recommend delaying Bulgaria's admission but the move would have to get the green light from all the 25 member states and that is very unlikely.
A compromise arrangement could see the commission suspending specific rights relating to shortcomings - for example in the area of food safety.
On the question of Romanian EU entry, the Finnish commissioner was more positive about progress.
He said Bucharest is cracking down on corruption and has launched a raft of criminal investigations against senior lawmakers, judges and officials.
In spite of Bulgaria’s apparent slips, Rehn insisted his goal remains that both countries should join the EU next January.
Fifteen countries have already ratified the accession treaty with Bulgaria and Romania and Germany and France are in the process of doing so.
Rehn is set to present a key report on whether the admission of the two countries should be delayed by a year in three weeks' time.
“The jury is still out until May 16,” the commissioner concluded.
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