EU lauds Romania reforms, cautious on Bulgaria

The European Union's top enlargement official praised candidate country Romania for fighting corruption and made clear neighbouring Bulgaria was lagging behind in comparison.

Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn reiterated both Balkan countries could still join the EU in 2007 rather than face a one-year delay, if they continued fast preparations. The executive European Commission will give its verdict on May 16.

Mr Rehn told the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee that when drafting the recommendation, the Commission would take into account developments in the two countries until the end of April.

"Should our analysis show that one or the other country is manifestly unprepared in a number of important areas, the Commission may... recommend postponing the accession of either country from 2007 to 2008," Mr Rehn said.

Bulgaria and Romania missed the EU's first wave of expansion into formerly communist eastern Europe in 2004 because of the relative slow pace of their political and economic reforms.

Mr Rehn's speech was made available to reporters during the committee's meeting, which was closed to the press.

He praised Romania's reforms in fighting corruption and reforming the judicial system, although he said the country needed to make more efforts to integrate its ethnic minorities and combat trafficking of humans for prostitution.

"Romania has made progress in the fight against corruption," he said.

"Sound and solid structures have been set up for this purpose, and investigations into high-level corruption cases have been launched. This is immensely important. It gives a signal to the society that for the first time in the history of the country, nobody is above the law."

Mr Rehn was more cautious on Bulgaria's progress. "In Bulgaria, progress in the reform of the judiciary system has been limited," he said.

"Bulgaria has taken the first steps in the fight against corruption... but existing legal provisions to pursue high-level corruption have only rarely been used. This needs to be addressed much more vigorously," he added.

Mr Rehn said constitutional changes approved by Bulgaria last week were "a step forward" in reducing the scope of immunity of members of Parliament. But he added that they left certain ambiguities regarding the independence of the judiciary.

"It is important that any ambiguity be removed," he said. Mr Rehn noted that even if the EU admitted Bulgaria and Romania as members in 2007, it could exclude both or one of them from some of the EU's common policies if they were unprepared.