Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-12-14-Speech-3-154"
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"en.20051214.15.3-154"2
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Mr President, let me begin by paying generous tribute to the work of both Mr Van Orden and Mr Moscovici for their work on these dossiers as rapporteurs and also by saying what a particular pleasure it is to follow Commissioner Rehn, who has been a dedicated and effective advocate of taking forward the work both for Bulgaria and Romania’s accession.
On the adoption and implementation of the
the report notes that Bulgaria has made further progress in particular on competition rules and culture and audiovisual policy. However, developments in a number of other areas have been frankly insufficient. Generally, Bulgaria needs to step up its efforts to complete preparations and to develop a sufficient administrative and judicial capacity to implement and enforce our Union’s legal order in full. I mentioned some particularly pressing implementation gaps earlier, such as the need to tackle corruption and organised crime effectively. Other concerns relate to the implementation of the European Union’s external border requirements and procedures, police cooperation and the effective enforcement of intellectual property rights in order to fight piracy and the broader issue of counterfeiting. The weak enforcement of rules on motor vehicle insurance also remains an issue of serious concern, as are shortcomings in the areas of agriculture, animal welfare, veterinary public health and food safety.
Turning to Romania, the Commission assesses that she meets the conditions for membership, but further work is still needed to address remaining shortcomings. Romania needs to take decisive action to reform the justice system and substantially step up the fight against corruption, including at a high level. It should also pursue reforms of the public administration system and further efforts are needed to improve the situation of the disabled and mentally ill, a topic which I know is close to this Parliament’s heart.
I would agree with the Commission’s assessment that Romania should be in a position to comply with economic criteria by accession, provided it continues and intensifies its efforts, in particular by paying attention to its external balance, public sector wage policy and the government’s revenue base. Romania has made further progress in adapting and implementing the
in particular on areas concerning the free movement of persons, telecommunications and consumer protection.
However, shortcomings remain in other areas. Generally, as with Bulgaria, Romania needs to step up its efforts to complete preparations and to develop a sufficient administrative and judicial capacity to implement and enforce the European Union’s legal order in full. It too needs to tackle corruption, including high-level corruption. As with Bulgaria, Romania must address concerns over the implementation of the European Union’s external border requirements and procedures, and concerns over the effective enforcement of intellectual property rights. A number of grave shortcomings that need to be swiftly and decisively addressed also relate to the area of agriculture and food safety and to the protection of the environment.
The first months of next year will be crucial periods in Romania’s accession process. Romania has made substantial progress to reach this stage. I clearly acknowledge that before this Parliament today. However, it must now renew its efforts to tackle those remaining concerns.
Bulgaria must also in the first months of the year focus all its efforts on addressing its remaining shortcomings. The Commission’s report provides an effective roadmap, identifying clearly the key weaknesses, and should help guide Bulgaria’s approach. Bulgaria too has made substantial process to reach this stage. The finishing-line is now in sight and Bulgaria will cross it, as long as it increases its efforts and implements those outstanding reforms. This will require hard work, but it will be well worth it.
The European Union will continue to provide any assistance and support to both Bulgaria and Romania in their endeavours to make that final push towards accession. I hope that accession in 2007 will be achieved by both Romania and Bulgaria. That accession will bring real benefits to both countries and – I would argue – clearly to the European Union as a whole. As my Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said to this Parliament in June, enlargement is an historic opportunity to build a greater and more powerful Union. I hope that this time next year both Romania and Bulgaria will be only a fortnight away from becoming full members of our European Union.
I warmly welcome this debate today, which is held at an important juncture in Bulgaria and Romania’s accession processes. From previous exchanges with honourable Members, I know that this Parliament maintains a close and detailed interest in both countries’ European Union preparations and wider enlargement issues. I look forward to a stimulating and thought-provoking discussion this afternoon.
The December 2004 European Council concluded that both Bulgaria and Romania will be able to assume all the obligations of membership from January 2007, provided they both continue with efforts to implement the necessary reforms and commitments undertaken in the
. The June 2005 European Council reiterated these conclusions and welcomed the signing of Bulgaria and Romania’s accession Treaty in Luxembourg on 25 April. As the Council noted, this marked a further important step towards accession, and it was a step firmly supported by this Parliament when it voted to approve the signing of the Treaty.
It is not difficult to see why the European Parliament and the Council have supported Romania and Bulgaria’s European Union aspirations. The prospect of EU membership has acted as a major lever for reform already. Since they started on the path to EU membership, both Bulgaria and Romania have implemented far-reaching political and economic changes. Living conditions and economic opportunities have improved. In the space of only 16 years, two dictatorships have been supplanted, I am glad to say, with democracies. These are substantial achievements by any measure and we should credit those who have worked so hard to bring them forward.
The stage is now set for full membership, something that will bring us much closer to healing the artificial division of Europe after the Second World War. It will contribute to a more stable, secure and stronger Union.
Neither Bulgaria nor Romania’s accession processes are yet complete. Indeed, as Commissioner Rehn has emphasised and emphasised previously in July, it is crucial to the success of enlargement that any new country joining the Union is well prepared to cope with the obligations of membership. As the Commissioner made very clear in his public statement in October, the jury is still out on when Bulgaria and Romania will join.
It is in all of our interests that Bulgaria and Romania are ready to join the European Union on 1 January 2007, as has already been suggested in the course of our debate. This goal is achievable as long as both countries step up the pace of reform in the short period of time left between now and that critical date. The comprehensive monitoring reports identify clear areas where both countries must now focus their efforts.
The report on Bulgaria shows that it meets the political criteria for membership, but further work is still needed to address remaining shortcomings. These include taking decisive action to reform the justice system and substantially stepping up the fight against organised crime and corruption, including at a high level. Pursuing reforms of the public administration system should also be a priority. In the area of human rights and the protection of minorities, more efforts are needed to prevent the trafficking in human beings, a subject on which this Parliament has repeatedly made clear its views, as well as to improve child welfare and the situation of the mentally disabled and to further the integration of the Roma minority generally.
The Commission also assesses that Bulgaria should be in a position to comply with the economic criteria of accession, provided it continues on its current reform path and deals with the current account deficit. To this end, it should seek to maintain a prudent fiscal policy, improve the business environment and pursue accelerated labour market reforms."@en1
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