The European Commission continues to be concerned about issues related to the rule of law in Bulgaria, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said in Sofia during his final visit here before the decisive report on the country's preparedness for EU accession.

Talking to journalists after his meeting with Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev, Rehn declined to make any forecasts about the date of Bulgaria's accession, planed for January 1, 2007.

"The date of Bulgaria's accession to the EU is important but the fulfilment of the membership criteria is more important - both for Bulgaria and for the European Commission," Rehn said.

The target date of accession January 1, 2007 is still feasible for Bulgaria, Rehn stated, pointing out that the government and the parliament should invest their entire energy in order to achieve this.

Rehn told Bulgaria's Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev that problems with fight against corruption and organized crime remain a serious area of concern for the union. The EU Enlargement Commissioner called for concrete results in solving these problems.

The May 16 report will be objective and unbiased, Rehn underlined. He pointed out that Bulgaria has made a considerable progress in economic growth and foreign investments.

Sergey Stanishev informed Rehn on the steps undertaken to fight the main problems for Bulgaria - corruption and crimes. Bulgaria's Prime Minister said that Sofia's aim is to join the bloc as scheduled.

Last week Rehn presented to EU Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee his preliminary report on Bulgaria and Romania. He then 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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