http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/09/26/Bulgaria.EU.reut/index.html

Quote:

EU 'to admit Bulgaria, Romania'

Bulgaria and Romania will get the green light on Tuesday to join the European Union in January, rather than a year later.

The executive European Commission, however, will set unprecedented entry conditions.

The Commission's recommendation, due to be approved by EU leaders in October, will list reforms the Balkan neighbors must complete to avoid being deprived initially of full membership benefits, including EU aid.

"Bulgaria and Romania have made further progress to complete their preparations for membership, demonstrating their capacity to apply EU principles and legislation from Jan. 1, 2007," said the Commission's draft report.

Toughest ever conditions

It will be the EU's second wave of enlargement into ex-communist eastern Europe, locking the Black Sea duo into the zone of stability and prosperity and promising a boost to their fast-growing economies.

But the toughest conditions ever imposed on entrants reflect concern about the countries' shortcomings, including corruption, organized crime and food safety standards, and doubts over their ability to administer billions of euros in EU aid properly. (Analysis)

The conditions are meant partly to reassure critics of enlargement who say the two countries are too poor and too weak administratively to cope with EU membership.

Bulgaria and Romania's economic output per capita is around one-third of the EU average and existing member states -- even those with open labor markets like Britain -- are hesitant about opening their doors to job seekers from both countries.

Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso said on Monday that once Romania and Bulgaria have joined the EU, the bloc should not enlarge further until it has reformed its creaking institutions.

The EU could have delayed Romanian and Bulgarian membership until 2008, but some Commission officials say privately that this would have humiliated the two nations, prompted an anti-EU backlash and reduced Brussels' leverage with Bucharest and Sofia.

Sanctions

The countries will be obliged to report regularly on progress in reforms and may face sanctions after entry unless the Commission deems their performance satisfactory.

Both states will have to complete mechanisms to allocate billions of euros in farm subsidies and regional aid. If they do not, Brussels may freeze part of the funds.

Bulgaria will be required to amend its constitution to remove ambiguity about the independence and accountability of the judicial system. It must also adopt new laws to improve the transparency and efficiency of the judicial process.

Romania must strengthen its Superior Council of Magistracy and establish, as promised, "an integrity agency" that will verify the assets of senior state officials, the draft said.

Failure to meet these obligations could mean that other EU members may refuse to recognize judgments of the newcomers' courts. In the farm sector, the EU may keep its ban on pork produced in both countries unless they improve measures to fight swine fever.

Some restrictions may also apply to their milk sectors. Bulgaria and Romania will add about 30 million citizens to the bloc's present population of more than 450 million.




Racks be to MisterJLA