EU Integration in 2007 It Is

The European Commission states in the report it issued today on Romania, that the East European country and its southern neighbor, Bulgaria, will become members of the European Union on January 1, 2007.

Once passing the hurdle of getting the status of working market economy, Romania has only to conclude negotiations and sign the accession treaty in 2005.

The conclusions of the report issued this year are very favorable. The document will become public today but excerpts of it were circulated in advance in the Western media.
One of the conclusions the European Commission arrived at in the report was that Romania and Bulgaria will be ready for accession by 1 January 2007 and promises that it will make every effort to reach the target set forth by the European Council, which is to conclude negotiations with Bulgaria and Romania in 2004. Sources in Bucharest say that this is the only section of the report which could still be changed before making it public. Taking into account the conclusions the European Commission arrived at, it means that the steps left to Romania are ending the negotiation process for the Justice & Home Affairs, Competition and Environment chapters and then signing the accession treaty in 2005.

The great hurdle to pass was getting the status of "working market economy". Heated arguments in the Commission took place before the EU body agreed to grant it to Romania, the French daily Le Figaro says.
The country is however not off the hook, as the report also warns about reforms lagging behind promised schedules. In spite of many reforms, in spite of bettering the status of institutionalized children, the progress was an uneven one, the report says.
The authorities still lack transparency, privatization deals are not fully open, corruption is paramount and measures against it are not good enough as the big sharks get away with their illegal activities, while the media is under pressure.
Overall, though, the final score is a good one and the European Commission recommends that Romania’s accession to the EU be linked with the one of Bulgaria.

In Brief:

The European Commission confirms that the pre-accession strategy for Romania and Bulgaria was a success;

The Commission confirms that negotiations with Romania and Bulgaria, based on the individual merits of each country, may be concluded in due time, so that the Accession Treaty may be signed as soon as possible during 2005;

Romania and Bulgaria have the capacity to comply with all requirements of an EU member by the accession date. Both countries need to better their administrative reforms, working of the judiciaries and the fight against corruption;

Romania and Bulgaria comply with the requirement of working market economy;

Furthering reforms in Bulgaria and vigorously implementing the structural reforms in Romania will allow the two countries to face competition on the European Union market;

Romania and Bulgaria made important progress in implementing reforms. The two countries comply with the political criterion, and the Commission expects that Romania and Bulgaria will comply with the economic criteria and the EU legislation and be ready for membership by 1 January 2007.

Since the time between completing negotiations and the accession will be long, and given the great number of requirements that must be complied with, the Commission believes that a special safeguard clause already agreed upon with Bulgaria should be extended to Romania too.

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President Ion Iliescu said that "it is only normal for the report to give further recommendations for the period after completing the negotiations; it will be a time for common efforts by 2007," Iliescu added.
In answering to the Commissions criticism which said that the National Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office dealt with petty corruption instead of important cases, Ionel Blanculescu, minister for the National Control Authority said that high-flying corruption cases are opened by the NAPO. He added that time is needed when solving those cases, Mediafax wire services reported.

Hard times are not over for Romania and Bulgaria.
Brussels will use the safeguard clause to insure that EU standards are complied with. To make clear that this clause is no joke Olli Rehn, the future Commissioner for Enlargement, said yesterday to the European Parliament that the EU will not hesitate in postponing Romania’s and Bulgaria’s accession till 2008 if the two countries do not comply with the EU standards.
"This clause is not made part of the accession treaty for nothing, and we intend in using it if need be," said Rehn.

Translation: ANCA PADURARU