MINISTER KUNEVA: I HOPE FOR END- 2006 ACCESSION DATE IN COPENHAGEN

Novinite Insider » INTERVIEW | August 15, 2002, Thursday // 00:00

Mrs. Meglena Kuneva has been Bulgaria's Minister of European Affairs since May 29, 2002. Before that she was Chief Negotiator with the European Union and Deputy Foreign Minister. She has impressive professional experience including positions such as senior legal adviser at the Council of Ministers (1991 - 2001) and supervisor at the Privatization Agency. She has lectured at the Sofia University and the Free Burgas University. Minister Kuneva is a Ph.D holder in environmental law from Sofia University and holder of diplomas from the law school and the foreign school at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., USA. She is married, with one son.

Minister Kuneva questions of novinite.com

Q: You have said that Bulgaria had real chances to conclude negotiations for EU accession by the end of 2003. What makes you to be such a euro-optimist?

A: I wouldn't call this conviction of mine as euro-optimism. It is a result from the real progress in the negotiations. For slightly more than two years Bulgaria has closed twenty-one chapters, ten more are to be closed - even without additional acceleration, it is very possible this term to be kept.

Q: Where could a delay in the negotiations come from?

A: Domestically, it could come from a delay in the work of the state administration, from delays in the adoption of legislature, from postponing unpopular political decisions - these are only potential risks, which I hope, will not happen.

Delays could emerge also from the efforts of the European Union to close negotiations with ten of the candidate countries by the end of this year. That is a huge trial for the administration in Brussels, the size of the coming enlargement is unprecedented.

Q: Do you have three arguments against Bulgaria's EU accession? Isn't there a threat Bulgaria, being such a small country, to lose its national identity?

A: I believe that EU membership is what will permanently transform our country in a positive way and all arguments against accession are improvident. The union doesn't wipe out the identity of the candidate countries, just the opposite: Have you ever asked yourselves how many wars have been avoided thanks to the European Union and how many people and peoples have found and preserved their national identity exactly because of that peace?

Q: What are the most necessary changes in the constitution related to Bulgaria's efforts to join EU?

A: One of the most urgent changes is the cancellation of the present ban for acquisition of a right for land ownership. It should be cancelled the way it is cancelled in the EU countries for Bulgarian nationals.

The European standards require additional explicit texts to be included for elimination of discrimination on the basis of genetic particularities, language, minority origin, disabilities, age and sexual orientation.

Other changes should also be made related to human rights and rights of the citizen, including electoral rights at local elections for national bodies and European Parliament.

I would like to clarify that during the negotiations, Bulgaria has accepted these changes to be made between 2003 and the accession date. Besides that for the more sensitive issues like the right of the foreigners to acquire land in Bulgaria, transition periods are envisaged.

Q: How did your work change after your promotion to euro-integration minister? What are the advantages of this new position? What are the three main goals that you aim at as euro-integration minister?

A: It is important that I participate now in the decision making process of the Council of Ministers, simultaneously acting as chief negotiator.

My main tasks are closing negotiations next year, getting a clear prospect for accession in the end of 2006 at the Copenhagen summit and keeping the confidence of the European partners in our country. That couldn't happen without the efforts of each of the Bulgarian ministers. It is my job to coordinate the process and to watch for the strict adhering to the schedule our country is committed to.

Q: Slight fall in the support for the European Union has been recorded. Do you consider that normal and what do you think this is due to?

A: This is a phenomenon that is being observed in all candidate countries without exceptions. Analysts explain this with the fact that because of the reforms, related to EU membership, the society starts to sense more and more the social price that needs to be paid, while the expected benefits are to become tangible in the future. The problem with euro-integration is that it is a long-term investment, an acquisition, which is pre-paid. Saying that I do not want to simplify things by claiming that the society will pay everything now and after that it will only receive.

Anyway, our country faces the necessity of huge structural reforms - in order to live better, we have to make these reforms, no matter whether with or without the ambition to become EU members. The negotiations process gives us two big advantages: first, it gives us the security that the conducted reforms are in the right direction and second - partnership with EU considerably reduces the price, which Bulgaria should have paid for these reforms if it had to conduct them on its own. Now, EU grants to our country 2,5 percent of the Bulgarian GDP as aid.

Q: After closing the "Customs Union" chapter in the end of July, what are the other chapters that Bulgaria has the chance by the end of the year? What will be the most difficult chapters to close?

A: This is not a question that I can answer without the participation of the European Commission since closing of the chapters is a consequence of an active bilateral dialogue. The difficulty is that the Commission will be very busy with the concluding of the negotiations with the ten candidate countries. However, I think that in the near future, there are grounds to record progress in the "Transport Policy," "Financial Control," "Justice and Home Affairs," and probably - "Energy."

"Environment" is a chapter that is not at all easy since it triggers serious investment efforts and proving the necessity for transition periods. Finally, the most difficult for closure chapters will remain: "Agriculture," " Regional Policy and Co-ordination of Structural Instruments" and "Financial and Budgetary Provisions." I would define as difficult the "Competition Policy" chapter also since it still needs to be clarified whether Bulgaria provided state aid to its enterprises.

Q: Is there, in your opinion, a delay in the adoption of the acts, necessary for Bulgaria's EU negotiations? Is out administrative capacity necessary to realize as scheduled the conditions for EU membership?

A: In most of the fields, the work goes well and that is seen in the number of closed chapters, which are twenty-one already. However, we have certain delays. The unpleasant thing in the case is that it is not a matter of imposed from abroad conditions but of meeting deadlines, set by the respective ministries.

Q: Is it worrying that Bulgaria is separated with Romania in the group of the laggards?

A: Bulgaria has a strategic interest in the successful accession of Romania to the European Union. It is worrying that we are separated and defined as laggards. However, the latter is not a problem already - Bulgaria's progress in the negotiations is quite obvious not only in Bulgaria but in Brussels also. We constantly receive assurances that an individual approach will be applied to each of the candidate countries in line with their achievements. I hope that these won't stay only words. I think that if we manage to get an accession date that would be a huge success for Bulgaria.

Q: What are Bulgaria's chances to negotiate more favorable for Bulgaria terms for closure of the N-plant units?

A: Energy Minister Milko Kovachev and I conducted bilateral meetings about the fate of third and fourth units of N-plant Kozloduy with many of the member countries. So far, we haven't found the issue to be of technical, but of political nature. There are no data the stand of the candidate countries to have changed from what is stated in the Memorandum from 1999. Of course, Bulgaria can proceed as it wishes but that won't change the fact that the European Union and the commission see the matter with the first four units of N-plant Kozloduy in the context of the EU negotiations.

Q: Do you expect Bulgaria to get an accession date at the summit in Copenhagen?

A: Yes, I very much wish this date to be 31 December 2006.

Q: Do you think there is a functioning market economy in Bulgaria?

A: I am not an economist and I cannot make such assessments. Such assessments are being made by armies of specially trained experts who review and assess many sectors according to a long list of criteria. Let us leave the assessment to them. I think that the way towards market economy is being walked by the entire state: the rulers, the position, businessmen and the entire society. Negotiations help this to be achieved faster.


Q: Will the Bulgarian economy develop so fast as to integrate in the European economy in 2007?

A: Neither the Bulgarian team, nor our European partners expect Bulgaria's EU integration to conclude at the time of the accession date. This is a continuous process, which is still taking place even in the countries, which found the European Union. I believe though that with the help of the transition periods and the good programs for reforms set for till then, at the time of the accession date, the Bulgarian economy will succeed in adapting at a bearable social price to the European economy.

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