How many Times were Diplomatic Relations between Russia and Bulgaria Severed
If we look at history, there are not many cases in which relations between Bulgaria and Russia at the state level were as bad as they are at the moment.
New Entrants Held Hostage of EU Brawls
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By Ivelina Puhaleva
An institutional conflict over the technicalities of enlargement funding has threatened to take hostage the European Parliament's vote over Bulgaria and Romania accession treaties.
A day earlier the MEPs deplored the Council's lack of cooperation on the Joint Declaration on the budgetary implications of Bulgaria's and Romania's accession. In an overnight decision making the European People's Party and the Green Party unified their stances to ask for a delay in the vote anticipated on Wednesday.
The Council had set out the financial envelope for the first few years of enlargement without consulting the European Parliament beforehand, which actually pulled the trigger of possible delay.
Some groups, such as the Greens and the Christian Democrats, threatened to call for a postponement of Wednesday's vote in order to protest against the "violation" of their financial and legislative rights.
But member states reached agreement shortly before the crucial poll on Wednesday and ended up exchanging compliments on the subject.
The heartbreaking vote on Wednesday cemented the deal struck by the Commission with MEPs to keep the Parliament involved in the monitoring process after the signature of the treaties.
The monitoring process could activate a so-called safeguard clause at any time until end 2007 to make it possible to postpone the accession of either applicant country by one year, if the candidates are seen to backslide on key reforms.
The vote of the European Parliament removed the last obstacle before Bulgaria and Romania's EU membership, but left a deep track of bitter taste in both Sofia and Bucharest. It must be now accepted as a clear sign that the one-year period to close the pre-accession gap when entering the bloc in 2007 will be a tough one to defend their right to be part of United Europe.
An institutional conflict over the technicalities of enlargement funding has threatened to take hostage the European Parliament's vote over Bulgaria and Romania accession treaties.
A day earlier the MEPs deplored the Council's lack of cooperation on the Joint Declaration on the budgetary implications of Bulgaria's and Romania's accession. In an overnight decision making the European People's Party and the Green Party unified their stances to ask for a delay in the vote anticipated on Wednesday.
The Council had set out the financial envelope for the first few years of enlargement without consulting the European Parliament beforehand, which actually pulled the trigger of possible delay.
Some groups, such as the Greens and the Christian Democrats, threatened to call for a postponement of Wednesday's vote in order to protest against the "violation" of their financial and legislative rights.
But member states reached agreement shortly before the crucial poll on Wednesday and ended up exchanging compliments on the subject.
The heartbreaking vote on Wednesday cemented the deal struck by the Commission with MEPs to keep the Parliament involved in the monitoring process after the signature of the treaties.
The monitoring process could activate a so-called safeguard clause at any time until end 2007 to make it possible to postpone the accession of either applicant country by one year, if the candidates are seen to backslide on key reforms.
The vote of the European Parliament removed the last obstacle before Bulgaria and Romania's EU membership, but left a deep track of bitter taste in both Sofia and Bucharest. It must be now accepted as a clear sign that the one-year period to close the pre-accession gap when entering the bloc in 2007 will be a tough one to defend their right to be part of United Europe.
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