Eveniment

EU may delay Bulgaria and Romania entry decision Tuesday May 9, 03:51 PM


BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union may postpone its decision by several months on whether Bulgaria and Romania join the bloc in 2007 or 2008 to press the two states to enact more reforms, an EU source said on Tuesday.

The European Commission, the EU's executive, will publish reports on May 16 assessing how close the two Balkan countries are to being ready to join. The reports are expected to recommend whether their entry should be delayed by a year.

"One option under consideration is to give either Bulgaria or Romania, or both, some more time to prepare themselves better before a recommendation is made," said a Commission official, who asked not to be identified.

The Commission's enlargement spokeswoman, Krisztina Nagy, declined to speculate on what the executive would recommend.

"No decision has been made. The jury is still out," she said.

European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso confirmed no decision had been made, telling the European Parliament the decision could go one of three ways: a 2007 accession, a 2008 accession, or the specification of entry conditions.

The third option implies that the EU would announce its decision was being delayed by several months to give time to Bulgaria and Romania to implement reforms needed to join the bloc in 2007.

Bulgaria and Romania reacted by expressing undiminished confidence they would join the 25-nation bloc next year.

Referring to a provision in the accession treaty allowing the EU to postpone membership by a year, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin told reporters in Lithuania: "There won't be any reason to activate that clause."

EU SUMMIT

Romanian Interior Minister Vasile Blaga said the Commission should make its recommendation early enough for the EU summit on June 15-16 to make a final decision on the entry date.

"Any other treatment for Romania will be unfair," Blaga said in a statement. "Romania fulfilled its obligations so I do not see any reason why it should not join on January 1, 2007."

An EU diplomat speculated that putting off a decision on Bulgaria and Romania could in fact increase their chances of joining the EU in 2007 rather than 2008.

"Perhaps if the Commission was to make a firm recommendation now, it would have to say 2008, especially in the case of Bulgaria. In the autumn, there may be more reason to say 2007," said the diplomat, who asked not to be identified.

The EU executive's next regular progress report on Bulgaria and Romania is due in October.

Bulgaria has said delaying membership until 2008 would prompt an anti-EU backlash and have the reverse effect of slowing reforms.

However, keeping one or both in suspense for several more months will keep pressure on them to implement more reforms this year, political analysts say.

On the other hand, it could complicate the ratification of their entry treaty in national parliaments, if the Commission finally decides to recommend that they join in 2007.

Romania and Bulgaria missed the EU's first wave of expansion into former communist eastern Europe in 2004 because of the slower pace of political and economic reforms.

Their main problems are corruption, organised crime and weak administrative and judicial systems.

(Additional reporting by Martin Dokoupil in Bucharest and Darius James Ross)

La 2006-05-09 20:16:29, radulupu a scris:

> cand i-am vazut numele Mosului, si mi-am zis: pariez pe 100 de parai
> ca asta iar scrie in engleza!!!!!!!!! Si URAAAAAAAAAAAAA, am castigat
> pariul cu mine insumi!!!! Acum sant trist caci imi datorez 100 de
> parai............asta e, omul bun mai si pierde!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
>
> La 2006-05-09 18:38:53, Mos Grigore a scris:
>
> > EU may delay Bulgaria and Romania entry decision Tuesday May 9, 03:51
> > PM
> >
> >
> > BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union may postpone its decision by
> > several months on whether Bulgaria and Romania join the bloc in 2007
> > or 2008 to press the two states to enact more reforms, an EU source
> > said on Tuesday.
> >
> > The European Commission, the EU's executive, will publish reports on
> > May 16 assessing how close the two Balkan countries are to being
> > ready to join. The reports are expected to recommend whether their
> > entry should be delayed by a year.
> >
> > "One option under consideration is to give either Bulgaria or
> > Romania, or both, some more time to prepare themselves better before
> > a recommendation is made," said a Commission official, who asked
> > not to be identified.
> >
> > The Commission's enlargement spokeswoman, Krisztina Nagy, declined to
> > speculate on what the executive would recommend.
> >
> > "No decision has been made. The jury is still out," she
> > said.
> >
> > European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso confirmed no decision
> > had been made, telling the European Parliament the decision could go
> > one of three ways: a 2007 accession, a 2008 accession, or the
> > specification of entry conditions.
> >
> > The third option implies that the EU would announce its decision was
> > being delayed by several months to give time to Bulgaria and Romania
> > to implement reforms needed to join the bloc in 2007.
> >
> > Bulgaria and Romania reacted by expressing undiminished confidence
> > they would join the 25-nation bloc next year.
> >
> > Referring to a provision in the accession treaty allowing the EU to
> > postpone membership by a year, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivailo
> > Kalfin told reporters in Lithuania: "There won't be any reason
> > to activate that clause."
> >
> > EU SUMMIT
> >
> > Romanian Interior Minister Vasile Blaga said the Commission should
> > make its recommendation early enough for the EU summit on June 15-16
> > to make a final decision on the entry date.
> >
> > "Any other treatment for Romania will be unfair," Blaga said
> > in a statement. "Romania fulfilled its obligations so I do not
> > see any reason why it should not join on January 1, 2007."
> >
> > An EU diplomat speculated that putting off a decision on Bulgaria and
> > Romania could in fact increase their chances of joining the EU in
> > 2007 rather than 2008.
> >
> > "Perhaps if the Commission was to make a firm recommendation now,
> > it would have to say 2008, especially in the case of Bulgaria. In the
> > autumn, there may be more reason to say 2007," said the
> > diplomat, who asked not to be identified.
> >
> > The EU executive's next regular progress report on Bulgaria and
> > Romania is due in October.
> >
> > Bulgaria has said delaying membership until 2008 would prompt an
> > anti-EU backlash and have the reverse effect of slowing reforms.
> >
> > However, keeping one or both in suspense for several more months will
> > keep pressure on them to implement more reforms this year, political
> > analysts say.
> >
> > On the other hand, it could complicate the ratification of their entry
> > treaty in national parliaments, if the Commission finally decides to
> > recommend that they join in 2007.
> >
> > Romania and Bulgaria missed the EU's first wave of expansion into
> > former communist eastern Europe in 2004 because of the slower pace of
> > political and economic reforms.
> >
> > Their main problems are corruption, organised crime and weak
> > administrative and judicial systems.
> >
> > (Additional reporting by Martin Dokoupil in Bucharest and Darius James
> > Ross)
> >
> >
> >
>
>