By Daisy Ayliffe - 24th September 2006
The European commission is set to give the green light to Romania and Bulgaria to join the EU on January 1 2007.
The EU executive’s final progress report on the two countries has been leaked to the press ahead of formal publication on Tuesday.
Both countries have "reached a high degree of alignment" with EU needs, the commission is set to say.
But while entry next year seems certain, Bucharest and Sofia will face the toughest post-entry penalties ever if they fail to complete reform programmes.
Cause for concern
Both have a "number of areas of continuing concern and also areas where the commission will initiate appropriate measures to ensure the proper functioning of the EU, unless the countries take immediate corrective action," the draft reads.
Tuesday’s report is set to recommend close monitoring of food safety issues, EU subsidy programmes and a number of key justice issues.
EU officials will say progress on justice Romania is now irreversible.
They praise Bucharest for seeing through corruption cases against leading politicians, including the former prime minister.
Bulgaria has also launched investigations into top politicians and officials but the commission will note fewer concrete results.
Money laundering is a particular concern in Bulgaria and Romania will be called on to establish an anti-corruption panel that will also examine state officials' potential conflicts of interest.
Overall six areas of concern will be flagged up for Bulgaria – while Romania has four outstanding causes for concern.
Safeguards
Strict safeguards on justice could allow member states to suspend EU obligations on civil and criminal law.
And an internal market safeguard could be invoked if either breached of the functioning of the market.
The draft says the economic safeguard could be used to "address serious or economic" difficulties after entry.
And in an unprecedented move, both countries will continue to be monitored after they become full EU members.
In what the commission describes as a "mechanism to assist and verify progress after accession," both countries will be called upon to report to Brussels every six months.
The commission also warns that it could withhold hundreds of millions of euros to Bulgarian and Romanian farmers next year.
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