Most of the MEPs of the European Parliament agreed on Thursday that Bulgaria should sign the Accession Treaty in 2005 thus joining the European family in 2007, media reported.
EU leaders are meeting in Brussels December 16 and 17 to discuss expansion, with Bulgaria and Romania likely to be given the final green light to join the European Union.
A total of 572 MEPs backed the report of Geoffrey Van Orden, the EU rapporteur for Bulgaria, while only 19 opposed it. Though praising Bulgaria’s progress the European Union urged Sofia to undertake more serious measures against organized crime, corruption and traffic in people.
The European Parliament also pointed out that despite the improved financial health of the country the financial prosperity of most of the Bulgarian people has remained unchanged.
The MEPs also agreed that Bulgarian covers all the Copenhagen political criteria and has improved its administration. They also acknowledged Bulgaria as a functioning market and its success in solving the ethnic problems in the country, though pointing out that it must work harder for the prosperity of the Roma minority.
The EU officials expressed concern about inconclusive general elections in Romania, which it says could delay reforms needed for the Balkan country to join the bloc in 2007. Officials said that while Bulgaria should face no big hurdle in its bid to join in 2007, Romania was less prepared and political turmoil could delay the already tight schedule for reforms.
“On Bulgaria and Romania, I am confident that the European Council will set the date for them to sign the Accession Treaty,” Jose Manuel Barroso, head of the EU’s executive Commission, said.
The European Parliament also voiced its concern over the case with the five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death in Libya on charges of deliberately infecting more than 400 Libyan children with HIV virus. The MEPs also expressed their hopes for the immediate release of the five Bulgarian women.
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