Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-12-15-Speech-3-177"
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"en.20041215.6.3-177"2
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".
Madam President, it is almost nine years to the day since Bulgaria formally applied for membership of the European Union. Since then the country has undergone tremendous political and economic changes: it became a member of NATO earlier this year and is now well on course to join the European Union on 1 January 2007. I see no significant obstacles to this and I trust that the European Council, when it meets at the end of this week, will not only endorse this view but also set a date early in the new year for signature of the Accession Treaty. Bulgaria must be judged on its own merits and its progress should not necessarily be linked to that of any other candidate country. That is why a separate Accession Treaty for Bulgaria may be necessary.
Bulgaria knows the challenges that lie ahead. On 17 December I trust the European Council will formally conclude Bulgaria's negotiations and set the date for signature of the Accession Treaty in spring 2005. This will be a great achievement, but reform and change must continue both in Bulgaria and in the EU itself.
Let us look at some of the changes that have taken place in Bulgaria. On the one hand we can recognise that the accession criteria and deadlines set by the European Commission have provided an external catalyst for change. However, on the other hand, internal dynamics have greatly altered the political and social landscape in Bulgaria as it cast off its old mantle following the collapse of communism in 1990. These changes are taking place not just because the European Union is insisting on them, but because they are good for Bulgaria and they are what the Bulgarians themselves want.
Bulgaria is now a fully functioning market economy and has been recognised as such since 2002. Macroeconomic stability has been maintained, including adequate price stability and sustainable public finances and external accounts. To take just a couple of key economic indicators, Bulgaria's GDP grew by 6 per cent in the first quarter of 2004, up from 4.3 per cent in 2003, and one of the highest rates among EU candidates and new Member States. The unemployment rate has consistently fallen since 2002: at 12 per cent it is still too high, but it is falling. Foreign direct investment is at record levels this year. Enormous progress has also been made on privatisation: 80 per cent of the economy is now in the private sector.
I strongly support the ongoing reform of Bulgaria's public administration, with the adoption of amendments to the Civil Service law. Improvements have also been made in the judicial system: there have been positive developments with regard to the recruitment and appointment of judges. However, more needs to be done, in particular in relation to pre-trial procedures and the position of the Prosecutor General.
However, it is not now just plain sailing. There are still areas of concern that I have been highlighting since 1999. Organised crime and corruption are an obstacle to reform in Bulgaria, having knock-on effects in all sectors of the economy and society. I have drawn particular attention to the need for more human and financial resources to be targeted to bring about major improvements in the welfare of children and in childcare institutions. I have called for a well-resourced, single government agency, with the power to ensure that child welfare reform happens.
The same strategic approach must be adopted for the integration of the Roma community into Bulgarian society. Bulgaria, assisted by the European Commission, must make an even more determined effort to expedite the integration of Roma into mainstream society, particularly through educational and employment opportunities, improved living conditions and access to healthcare and family planning. There is also another side to this problem: the Roma themselves must adapt. This point may be unpopular in some circles but it is the only way that real change will be brought about on the ground for the Roma. Over the past four years over EUR 160 million of Community funds have been directed at Roma issues. However, change must happen from the inside as well as on the part of government.
The European Union's enlargement to the east and south-east marks a momentous change in Europe. We have finally put an end to the hostilities and the divisions of the Cold War. History is being written as we speak – in Ukraine, for instance – and this morning Parliament gave its green light to the opening of accession negotiations with Turkey. Great changes are taking place on our continent. We are in a time of transition and we must all work hard to ensure that the tide of change shifts in the right direction. Within Europe this means refocusing the nature and objectives of the European Union. This means the EU doing less but doing it better.
I wish to thank colleagues across Parliament for their support and assistance in my work as rapporteur. There will be an opportunity for a more comprehensive report on Bulgaria's accession early in the new year. My report this time is deliberately concise. Some amendments were included during the committee stage, but I do not feel that I can support any of the amendments now proposed.
Finally, I wish to take this opportunity to highlight the plight of Bulgarian nurses incarcerated in Libya and now under threat of the death penalty. I urge all Members to sign Written Declaration No 61 calling for their early release."@en1
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