VERHEUGEN DENIES ROMANIA, BULGARIA MAY BE IN FIRST WAVE OF NEW MEMBERS

Views on BG | November 23, 2001, Friday // 00:00

AFX

EU commissioner for enlargement Guenther Verheugen said Romania and Bulgaria will "definitely not" be among the countries joining the EU in the first wave of new members.

He was responding to comments from French foreign minister Hubert Vedrine earlier this week, who asked publicly whether it is a disadantage to leave out the two countries from the first wave.

Asked if Romania and Bulgaria are suitable to qualify for the first wave along with the ten countries which meet the EU's economic criterea, Verheugen said:
"Defnitely not."

He added he does not believe Vedrine's remarks "really" represent the French "view" on the issue.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of banking congress here, Verheugen went on to say: "The assumption we could organise a big bang based on purely political and strategic considerations is not acceptable for the majority of member states."

"I am very happy to say Romania and Bulgaria have started to catch up but still a lot of work must be done." Romania and Bulgaria have been left out of the group of 10 counties which could qualify for EU accession in 2004 due to their poor economic development.

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