A member of the EU Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee has described as absurd Bulgaria and Romania's contract with the European Union.

"The safeguard clause, which can delay the two countries' accession by one year, is absurd. It says the accession will become a fact after the envisaged period passes, regardless of whether the aspirants are well prepared or not," Klaus Haensch told Deutche Welle radio.

According to him fixing a date for accession would have made any sense only provided that there is no option for postponement.

Haensch is certain that Bulgaria and Romania will fail to fulfil the recommendations of the European Commission by the end of the year.

"Bulgaria and Romania need to make bigger efforts before their successful accession," Klaus Haensch said, stressing that results in corruption combat, a critical yardstick for the European Commission, fall short of expectations.

Haensch believes that EU leaders should give their verdict on Bulgaria and Romania as early as in May so that they have time to "tune in".

Talking to the EU Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee at the beginning of April EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said that Romania and Bulgaria's EU accession in 2007 is doable.

But in his presentation of both countries EU efforts, he made a clear distinction between the two, reserving his praise for Romania.

For the first time since the two Balkan countries were coupled in a package for the 2007 enlargement, Rehn said only one of the two countries might accede as planned.

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