Hisarya, south central Bulgaria, 12 October: "More than any time before, Bulgaria's desire to achieve membership in the European Union not later than 2007 is now acknowledged as a realistic and feasible objective by the EU member states," Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg said Saturday [12 October].
He was speaking at the opening of a working meeting of the parliamentary groups of the ruling Simeon II National Movement and coalition partner Movement for Rights and Freedoms with the government.
The participants in the meeting were to focus on the budget, tax legislation and investment policy. According to the prime minister, "the ruling majority must convert the positive macroeconomic results into tangible gains for each Bulgarian in the sphere of health care, education and employment".
Saxe-Coburg noted that at present Bulgaria provides a fine basis for an increase of foreign investments, promotion of small and mid-size business, and creation of new jobs. He said that boosting corporate and personal income was another priority for the power-holders. The prime minister said that the proposed revisions of the tax laws in 2003 will lead to the evolvement of a modern regulatory framework which will make possible long-term business planning. The head of government said that the incumbents face the task of making efforts towards development of the areas affected by high unemployment and depopulation. As he put it, strategic projects, geared to their specific natural, economic and human resources, must be oriented to these areas.
The prime minister called on the parliamentary majority and on the government to coordinate their efforts, with each MP helping the implementation of priority programmes and projects in his or her constituency. Saxe-Coburg called that efforts concentrate on enhancement of opportunities for self-realization and improved national prospects.
In addition to the 2003 budget, tax legislation and investment policy, a report on "Bulgaria before the Prague summit: Situation analysis" is also scheduled to be presented at the seminar.
Bulgaria has been left out in the cold in the European Commission's landmark announcement of the 10 countries who will join the European Union in its biggest ever expansion in 2004.
But the country's Prime Minister, and former King, Simeon Saxe-Coburg, is not disappointed.
"2004 for us would have been really strictly wishful thinking," he told BBC News Online.
Instead, along with Romania which also failed to make the grade this time round, Bulgaria has set its heart on joining by 2007.
"If we keep on the pace of working as hard and delivering as much as we have been doing in the past year I am very much confident that this will be accomplished," said Mr Saxe-Coburg.
Falling support
Bulgaria still has major problems with almost all the criteria for membership.
Of the 30 completed chapters required for EU membership, Bulgaria has managed to close just 22 - the lowest of all the candidate countries, bar Romania.
Bulgarians have been angered by lack of progress
Corruption, a weak judiciary and discrimination against the Roma minority have all given Brussels cause for concern.
Mr Saxe-Coburg's hard work to pick up the pace of the membership process is not proving popular.
The former King Simeon II returned from exile to public jubilation and won half the seats in parliament at last year's elections, though his party was only a few months' old.
But now his popularity has dropped to 10% and there is discontent that his lavish promises have not marked any change on the ground.
But he insists this is part of the normal curve of taking over government and says the effects of his policies are being felt.
"A lot of tough measures have already been implemented but parallel to this there's a lot of new possibilities which are opening.
"With transparency and clean administration there's more investment. There's hundreds of new little companies, sometimes of three or five people, that start every week now," he said.
Looking ahead
Fixing their eyes on the prize of a 2007 accession will, he believes, help Bulgarians through the difficult times and ensure their continued enthusiasm - currently among the highest of all candidate countries - for the EU.
"By having a date... then there's a deadline and we know that all our tough measures and sacrifices will have been worth it."
But while the candidate countries have always made dates a focus of their preparations, Brussels has been less willing to commit itself to timetables.
In Wednesday's announcement, the Commission noted, but didn't approve, Bulgaria's aspirations to 2007 membership.
Nonetheless, Mr Saxe-Coburg insists his small country's determination will have its way.
"We believe the process of merits and accomplishments will prevail... there's a lot of time until the year 2007 to negotiate to progress and to reach understanding."
Georgi Purvanov Sends Letters Asking for Peer Review of Kozloduy Units Three and Four in Near Future.
Sofia, October 24 (BTA) - President Georgi Purvanov sent letters to state and government leaders of the EU member countries and to representatives of the European Commission and the EU, his Press Secretariat said on Thursday.
On the basis of specific technical and political arguments, including the National Assembly's decision of October 2, Purvanov called on the EU member states, with the help of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to make a peer review of Units Three and Four of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant as soon as possible, which review would lead to a final decision about the future of the two units, the press release said.
Through the respective accredited ambassadors to Bulgaria, the letter was sent to the state and government leaders of Austria, Germany, Greece and Italy, to the state leaders of Finland, France, Ireland and Portugal, and to the government leaders of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK, the Press Secretariat said.
The letter was also sent to European Commission President Romano Prodi, European Commission Vice President Loyola de Palacio, who is responsible for relations with the European Parliament, Energy and Transport, European Commissioner Guenter Verheugen, who is responsible for enlargement, European Parliament President Patrick Cox, Elmar Brock, hairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy, Jose Maria Gil-Robles, Co-Chairman of the Bulgaria-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee, and Geoffrey Van Orden, rapporteur on Bulgaria at the European Parliament.
On October 15, Purvanov met with nuclear energy experts, ministers and MPs to discuss the draft letter about Units Three and Four of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant. Those who claim that the two units must be decommissioned have no arguments for their position. "The Bulgarian position is strong and we must find a way to stand up for it," Purvanov said at the time.
In its October 2 decision, the National Assembly said the decommissioning of Units Three and Four must not precede Bulgaria's accession to the EU. Parliament considers the findings of the IAEA review in 2002 and the expected review of Units Three and Four as additional arguments in determining the time limit of their operation.
We are waiting for the moment to congratulate you as full-fledged NATO and EU members, said Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, emerging from his talks with Bulgaria's PM Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. He said further he could not offer firm pledges, but he hoped Bulgaria would join the EU in 2007. Mr. Rasmussen said also that Denmark would further support our country, but everything depended on the progress of the reforms our country would carry out.
Bulgaria's Parliament Unanimous in Final Constitutional Changes Vote.
Novinite.com
Politics: 24 September 2003, Wednesday
In what is considered a historic step for Bulgaria on its way to the European Union, the country's Parliament passed conclusively on Wednesday amendments to the Constitution dealing with magistrates' immunity, irreplaceability and term of office. With an impressive unanimity 230 lawmakers of the 240-seat Parliament backed the amendments, which were proposed at the end of July and supported by more than 100 MPs from all parliamentary groups. The parliamentary session was attended by President Parvanov, Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg, cabinet members, representatives of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Judicial Council as well as visiting Italian Senate President Marcello Pera.
These are the fist changes that Bulgaria makes to its Constitution since 1991 and the step is seen as crucial for the Balkan country's entry into the European Union in 2007. It comes after Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen warned in July that Bulgaria may not complete accession negotiations in 2004 unless constitutional amendments on judicial reform are adopted by September.
The constitutional amendments introduce the so-called functional immunity, according to which judges, prosecutors and investigators cannot be detained but with a permit, issued by the Supreme Judicial Council, for having committed a grave crime.
Under the amendments magistrates can be dismissed if they turn 65 years or resign. They can be replaced in case of detainment for perpetrating a crime, physical disability to perform their obligations for more than a year as well as a consistent poor performance, which harms the prestige of the judicial power. In all other cases, a five-year service at their posts will be enough to make magistrates irreplaceable, according to the new amendment.
We must muster courage, have the political will and take steps of these dimensions in the future as well, Stanimir Ilchev, floor leader of ruling party Simeon II National Movement, said after the roll call vote. He called the adopted amendments an encouraging sign and a solid basis for those who would initiate similar steps in the future.
Leader of right-wing Union of Democratic Forces Nadezhda Mihaylova called for another package of structural reforms and expressed the hope that the adopted amendments will increase the requirements to magistrates and will tighten the control in the judicial system.
Leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party Sergey Stanishev described as "decisive" the role of the constitution for affirming the principles of democracy and market economy in Bulgaria.
In the opinion of Justice Minister Anton Stankov the adopted amendments secure positive assessment for Bulgaria in the annual report of the European Commission.
Italian Senate President Marcello Pera (left), deputy Parliamentary Speaker Kassabova and PM Saxe-Coburg celebrated with a glass of champagne the conclusive passage of Constitutional changes. Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (novinite.com)
This message has been edited by TsarSamuil from IP address 212.181.9.227 on Feb 6, 2004 12:27 PM
Bulgaria closed the Justice and Home Affairs Chapter of the country's European Union (EU) pre-accession negotiations on October 29, a statement from Bulgaria's Interior Ministry reads.
Thus there remain four other chapters upon which negotiations will continue. The country hopes to complete the talks in 2004 and eventually become a full member of the Union in 2007.
The statement also reads that the closing of the chapter is a great success for Bulgaria and also a proof for the high professionalism and responsibility in the country's efforts for joining the EU. That decision proves Bulgaria is seen as a stable partner.
Greece is the enemy of Bulgaria always and forever.
by Boris I (no login)
Bulgaria Concludes EU Entry Procedures "Problems-Free"
5 November 2003, Wednesday.
Bulgaria would conclude all necessary procedures for its 2007 entry in the European Union problems-free, Greece's President Konstandinos Stephanopoulos said upon a meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Parvanov Wednesday.
Stephanopoulos did not mention 2004 as a conclusion date of the negotiations, however he said that Greece is willing to work for Bulgaria's cause. Bulgaria's President and his Greek counterpart also pledged to boost bilateral cooperation.
Later in the day Bulgaria's President met Greece's Prime Minister Konstandinos Simitis who supported the idea for Bulgaria and Romania's joint entry in the EU. In Simitis' words separation of the two countries could cause problems. Still, Simits said that Greece backs the year 2004 as a deadline for the conclusion of Bulgaria's negotiations with the EU.
However, Parvanov pointed out that Bulgaria hopes that each country willing to become EU member would be evaluated separately.
Parvanov is on a three-day visit to Greece on the invitation of his Greek counterpart. The two heads-of-state are scheduled to discussed bilateral economic and political relations.
READ BETWEEN THE LINES AND YOU WILL SEE HOW GREECE "SUPPORTS" BULGARIA...
The decision of the EU Bulgaria to be integrated into the Bloc in couple with Romania is half-and-half news, Foreign Minister Solomon Passy said for bTV. To him, there is a contradiction between the annual EU report on Bulgaria and the strategic paper for the enlargement of the EU. On one hand, it is said that each aspiring country will be evaluated according to its own progress, but on the other hound, there is a kind of coupling, Mr. Passy said. To him, if there is coordination between the institutions, Bulgaria stands a fair chance to be integrated into the EU in 2007. We will insist on an operative road map, which points the year 2004 as a deadline for closing the negotiations with the EU, European Affairs Minister Meglena Kuneva said in Athens. Bulgaria officially received the report yesterday. Dimitris Kourkoulas, Head of Delegation of the European Commission in Sofia presented it in Parliament. You are ahead of Romania, but the gap is not quite noticeable; it will be good for the EU if Bulgaria and Romania be integrated in a couple, he said. Later, he handed in the report to PM Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, in the presence of most of the ministers and diplomats. "The content of the report is hopeful and the Bulgaria's full-fledged membership in the EU seems more and more feasible, almost real, the PM commented. He pointed out that we will take very positively the European Commission annual report on Bulgaria, if Bulgaria is decoupled from Romania. Leading EU MPs proposed in the EU Parliament that Bulgaria and Romania to be decoupled, as to their integration into the EU, in the evening of the day before.
Scoring_Disabled_Msg
beast (no login) 63.139.151.46
Re: Bulgaria in EU
No score for this post
November 8 2003, 4:53 AM
I bet Turkey is not too happy about Greece-Bulgaria cooperation...
And if Turkey is not happy, the US and the UN is not happy either.
Dow Jones: Bulgaria Complains It Is Teamed With Romania In EU Rating.
Dow Jones Newswires
Prime Minister Simeon Saxcoburggotski voiced satisfaction Thursday about the rating that the European Union Commission gave Bulgaria in its annual readiness report, but complained that his country was teamed with neighboring Romania in the E.U. membership race.
Speaking to journalists after receiving the document from commission's envoy to Bulgaria, Saxcoburggotski said that the report was positive "apart from the issue with Romania."
"We could accept the report as very positive if we disregard the issue with Romania," he said, alluding to the report's grouping of Bulgaria and Romania, which is lagging behind with its accession talks.
The Commission Wednesday suggested in a report that the two Balkan neighbors both sign accession accords with the E.U. in 2005. Bulgaria, which has already closed 26 of a total of 30 negotiation chapters fears that Romania, which has closed just 20, might not meet that deadline.
Government officials have said Bulgaria was ready to complete the talks by the middle of next year, and to become a union member in 2007.
The European Commission envoy to Bulgaria, Dimitris Kourkoulas, acknowledged that Bulgaria was ahead of Romania in the talks, but added that it was much easier to have just one document for the two countries to be approved by the parliaments of the different E.U. member countries.
"All the European institutions...are committed to the principle of negotiating with each country on its own merits, which is not incompatible with the idea and the practice of having a common accession treaty if negotiations are going more or less in a parallel way," he said.
"The fact that we sign one treaty does not mean that we treat them in a uniform way. This is not something discriminatory against your country," he said.
Chirac reassures Bulgaria, Romania for EU membership.
SOFIA (bnn)--French President Jaques Chirac on Thursday reassured Bulgaria and Romania about their chances to join the European Union after having earlier warned they could lose them because of siding with the U.S. on Iraq.
"To Bulgaria and Romania I have a message of solidarity and friendship, which I had the chance to express before the Romanian president and the Bulgarian prime minister," the BGNES news agency quoted Chirac as saying during an European Union summit in Athens, Greece.
Speaking of the two countries' aspirations to join the EU, Chirac said that "Bulgaria and Romania already havea fixed date _ 2007 and I am sure it will be observed."
In February Chirac berated Bulgaria and Romania for their support for the United States-led war in Iraq, which he opposed. He warned the two Balkan nations they were risking to jeopardize their chances of EU membership.
President Parvanov Calls for Referendum About Bulgaria's EU Membership.
Novinite.com
Politics: 22 January 2004, Thursday
We should outline clearly to Bulgarians the perspective of the country's EU membership, and Bulgarians must not only be fully informed, but also entitled to cast their vote in a national referendum prior to Bulgaria's entry into the Union, President Georgi Parvanov stated in his open address to the Parliament on the occasion of his 2 years in tenure.
In his speech he addressed critiques to the government for "impotence" to deal with the raging crime in the country and pointed out the necessity of revision in the national strategy for fight against crime. The President called also for substantial and urgent amendments into the national Penal and Penal Procedure Codes, as well as for drafting a new legislation regulating the special services.
Bulgaria will continue to be a solidarity member of the international anti-terrorist coalition, Georgi Parvanov said sending an indirect confirmation of Bulgaria's obligations as an active peacekeeping partner. It came a day after US President George Bush hailed namely the contribution of partnering countries, including Bulgaria, towards global peace and security.
The Parliamentary Speaker Prof Ognyan Gerdzhikov backed up the President's stance to rule a referendum before Bulgaria's actual membership in the European Union.
According to Bulgarian Constitution, the President sets a date for a national referendum after the Parliament rules a respective decision for carrying out a referendum.
Parvanov was sworn as Bulgarian President January 19, 2002, and officially entered into office on January 22. In his speech then President Parvanov said that he would work for the stability in the country and seek balance between the institutions.
Georgi Parvanov is the first Bulgarian President since the democratic reforms that made use of his constitutional rights and summoned Bulgaria's supreme military commandment. The meeting took place on January 8, 2004 and focused on the preparations and the ability of Bulgarian military missions abroad to execute their tasks.
MEP Oostlander: Bulgaria Must Go Its Way to EU Separately from Romania.
Novinite.com
Politics: 5 February 2004, Thursday
Bulgaria must go its way to the EU separately from Romania, MEP deputy Arie Oostlander said to the Bulgarian State National Television BNT on Thursday.
He put under serious doubt the democratic ruling of Romania, the observance of the rule of law and of human rights. His main objections to Romania's EU accession are related also to the country's failure in reforms at transport and fishery policies.
Arie Oostlander, who is a rapporteur on Romania at the European Parliament. Re-confirmed to BNT his proposal that EU negotiations with the northern Bulgarian neighbour are suspended.
Two weeks ago, the Dutch MEP called surprisingly for the suspension of pre-accession talks with Romania until it improves its human rights record and tackles widespread corruption. His voice was supported by other parliamentarians too, who said that the country needs more time to thoroughly reform and improve its judicial system, now weak and open to corruption, and should not hurry to close negotiations this year, as planned.
Pre-accession talks with any applicant may be suspended with a decision by the European Commission after it is addressed with a due proposal from the European Parliament.
Though the EU Commission is still silent over the reports, the Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen had reportedly made steps in the same miserable-for-Romania direction, sending a curt letter to the government to terminate the export of children for adoption. An imminent threat to cut off the applicant country from pre-accession aid is also present, unless Bucharest can account for its actions.
Romania's Prime Minister Adrian Nastase is so far denying the grave reproaches, claiming that the corruption practice of child adoption abroad is terminated with the moratorium of 2001 and that judiciary reforms are at full speed.
Romania, along with Bulgaria, aims to end pre-accession negotiations till end of 2004, sign accession treaties in 2005 and become a full-fledged member of the European Union in 2007.
German Top Politician Opposes Bulgaria, Romania 2007 EU Entry.
Novinite.com
Politics: 24 February 2004, Tuesday
Edmund Stoiber, a German top politician and leader of the Christian Social Union said that the European Union (EU) will not be able to finance Bulgaria and Romania's 2007 EU entry, German magazine Der Spiegel reported.
At that stage an enlargement of more than 10 new members is impossible, Stoiber told the German magazine. The German top politician also said that it is not adequate to discuss the future entry of Bulgaria and Romania without linking it to the financial aid they will have to receive.
Earlier in the year the European Commission proposed that the share of the EU budget devoted to Romania and Bulgaria for the period 2007-2009 total EUR 15.4 B in commitments and EUR 9 B in actual payments. A total of EUR 4.245 B should go to Bulgaria.
In November 2003, the EU Commission published its regular report on Bulgaria's progress towards accession. According to the paper, the country continues to match political criteria for EU membership, maintains economic stability and low inflation. However, more efforts are needed for the efficient implementation of the pre-accession funds, for fight against unemployment and against illegal trafficking in women and children, the report says.
Croatian PM Sanader: Croatia Keeps Finger Crossed for Bulgaria's EU Accession.
Strasbourg, April 27 (BTA Special Correspondent Atanas Matev) - "I fully support Bulgaria's membership in NATO and the EU; I congratulate you on your entry into the North Atlantic Alliance and keep my fingers crossed for your joining the EU in 2007," Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader told a BTA reporter on Tuesday during a meeting with the press in the Council of Europe after addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Sanader said he expects that his country and Bulgaria will accede to the EU in 2007 but noted this will depend on the EU's political decision.
The Croatian Prime Minister said his country does not consider Bulgaria a rival EU applicant country but a state with whom tpo build even closer cooperation. The Croatian official expressed satisfaction that the two countries' European affairs ministers signed a cooperation agreement on EU accession on Monday.
Bulgaria's prime minister highly assessed the country's completion of the accession talks with the European Union, recalling that the negotiating team has put in huge efforts to achieve the goal.
Bulgaria's completion of the accession talks with the European Union is big victory, Saxe-Coburg said on Tuesday.
During a meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg it was officially announced that Bulgaria has technically wrapped up the negotiations, receiving a proposal for concluding accession talks with the EU.
Bulgaria has put an end to negotiations over EU entry technically closing the last two chapters, Competition and Miscellaneous, on Tuesday. Thus EU membership talks are "provisionally closed" paving the way for Sofia to join Europe's club in 2007, as scheduled for Bulgaria and Romania.
The deal came after the EU agreed to give Bulgaria nearly EUR 240 M in funds on top of about EUR 4.4 B already promised for the country from the EU's 2007-2009 budget.
The European Commission is now expected to compile a final report this autumn allowing Bulgaria to sign an "accession treaty" for EU membership ahead of the country's national elections in June 2005.
But talks have not all been sweetness and light and further "bitter" negotiations are expected at the final seal of accession talks in the autumn over the shutdown of two Bulgarian nuclear reactors - an EU precondition.
Domestic opposition, backed also by President Georgi Parvanov, claims that the terms of their decommissioning must be rescheduled.
The deadline for shutting down Kozloduy's nuke units, which provide nearly half of the country's electricity needs, is set for 2006.
EU membership talks also continue with Romania, seen in an accession "couple" with Bulgaria, though Bucharest continues to lag behind its southern neighbour.
The green light for Sofia will fuel concerns that Bulgaria may be forced to wait until Romania - which is flagging behind on EU demanded reforms - plays catch up, European press reports commented.
European Union's Permanent Representatives Committee has unanimously approved Bulgaria and Romania's accession treaties.
The news was broken by Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Solomon Passy in an interview for the National Radio. Minister Passy described the news as an extremely important step forward both for Sofia and Bucharest.
Earlier on Thursday Bulgaria's Euro-integration Minister Meglena Kuneva warned that if the parliamentary crisis gains in speed and results in the formation of an interim cabinet, Bulgaria may appear unable to sign the EU accession treaty.
Minister Kuneva reminded that an international treaty could not be in conflict with the constitution and the planned amendments must be adopted by March at latest, if Sofia wants to be ready for signing its EU accession April 25 in Luxembourg.
Statesmen Celebrate Signing of Bulgaria's EU Accession Treaty.
Novinite.com
Politics: 26 April 2005, Tuesday
Bulgaria's President Georgi Parvanov, Parliamentary Spokesman Borislav Velikov and Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg have invited ministers, MPs and foreign diplomats raised a toast on the occasion of the signing of Bulgaria's EU Accesion Treaty.
The Chief of the Bulgarian Army Staff General Nikola Kolev, former presidents, ministers and spokesmen of the Parliament as well as representatives of different Bulgarian media were also invited.
Romania and Bulgaria signed Monday EU Accession Treaties in Luxembourg to join the block in 2007. The two Balkan states' accession in two years' time would take the European Union to 27 member states and expand its borders southeast to the Black Sea.
