The European Commission will appreciate Bulgaria's efforts to bring to justice prominent underworld figures even if preliminary proceedings are launched as late as May 15, a day before the crucial report on Bulgaria is released, the country's euro-affairs minister believes.

"The EU is eagerly waiting for results and I am sure these steps will be noticed," Euro-Affairs Minister Meglena Kuneva told the state-run TV channel.

According to the minister one of the gravest issues is that the principle of random distribution of cases is not applied in all courts.

Bulgaria will report on Wednesday the measures taken to address the issues highlighted in the EU Executive unit report from October.


The European Commission monitoring report on Bulgaria singled out five areas of serious concern in the adoption and implementation of the EU legal order - freedom to provide services, company law, agriculture, regional policy and justice and home affairs.

EU's enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said earlier in April that Bulgaria needs to show results in tackling crime and corruption if it is to join the European Union in 2007.

The EU enlargement commission is concerned about the high rate of street killings in Bulgaria, which has seen not a single person convicted for the murders.

The question is whether these efforts will be enough to satisfy the European Union that Bulgaria will be ready to join by January.

If Bulgaria fails to get results, EU entry could be delayed until 2008.

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