Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-05-16-Speech-2-189"
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"en.20060516.35.2-189"2
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".
Mr President, I am delighted to have the opportunity to present to you today the results of our assessment of Bulgaria’s and Romania’s preparations for accession and I look forward to discussing this with you.
Our approach is based on strict conditionality and adherence to undertakings. That approach has allowed us to gain strength and confidence from each enlargement. Like the previous enlargements, especially that in 2004, the forthcoming enlargement will be a success.
Enlargement has always been Europe’s response to strategic challenges and history has shown that this response has been the proper one. Time and again, it has been accompanied by a dynamism that has given the enlarged Europe a greater capacity to make its mark in the world.
In the situation in which we find ourselves today, it is more important than ever to preserve the spirit of openness and ambition that has always inspired us to press ahead with the construction of Europe. That is precisely why Commissioner Rehn and I have decided to go to Bucharest today and Sofia tomorrow to explain these issues and give the two countries a clear message of encouragement.
I would like to thank Parliament, in particular its Committee on Foreign Affairs, the chairman Mr Brok and the rapporteurs Mr Van Orden and Mr Moscovici for their contribution to this important exercise. I very much appreciate the concerted spirit of our frequent discussions on this subject. As you know, the decision that the Commission has taken today is the result of an extensive process of review and dialogue with all the major stakeholders. The starting point of our approach is that the European Union must honour existing commitments. At the same time, we need to be rigorous as regards the criteria to be met by acceding countries.
I should like to make a few brief remarks before, with your permission, giving the floor to Mr Rehn, who will comment in more detail on the Commission’s findings in the monitoring report.
Since October, the Governments of Bulgaria and Romania have worked extremely hard to deliver on their outstanding commitments. They have continued to make progress in their preparation for membership. Let us give credit where it is due. However, there are still some important issues which need to be addressed. I would highlight, in particular, the need for further progress in the area of justice and home affairs. The Commission considers that Romania and Bulgaria should be ready for membership by 1 January 2007, provided that they address a number of outstanding issues in the course of the next month.
Let me first turn to the situation in judicial reforms and the fight against corruption. We expect any acceding country to have in place a fully functioning judicial system equipped to fight corruption and organised crime. This is of paramount importance, since it underpins the functioning of the whole society and the economy. Both countries have shown determination to undertake the necessary remaining reforms and our reports give them full credit for the results already achieved. Bulgaria still needs to demonstrate clear evidence of results in the fight against corruption, in particular high-level corruption, notably in terms of investigations and subsequent judicial proceedings. It also needs to further reform the judiciary and remove any ambiguity regarding its independence. We also expect Bulgaria to step up efforts on the investigation of organised crime networks.
Romania needs to continue its efforts and demonstrate further results in the fight against corruption, notably in terms of further investigations and subsequent judicial proceedings. It needs to consolidate the implementation of the ongoing judicial reforms.
Turning to the level of alignment of Bulgaria and Romania with the
we have registered further progress. However, we still have serious concerns about a few sectors: agriculture and food safety, justice and home affairs and public finance. Any acceding country needs to be in a position to implement the European Union policies properly upon accession. The rules of the club must be respected. We expect Bulgaria and Romania to take immediate corrective action in those problematic sectors.
No later than early October, we will review the situation with those outstanding issues. On that basis, the Commission will consider whether it is still possible to adhere to the accession date of 1 January 2007. It is practicable for the two countries to be ready in 2007, but they must take decisive action.
At the same time, the European Union needs to give a clear signal that it stands ready to honour its commitments. That is crucial, in order to keep up the momentum. Practical preparations for accession need to continue. I count on the support of all governments and parliaments that still need to complete their procedures to ratify the accession treaty."@en1
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