The European Union wants actual results from the reforms in Bulgaria, FM Ivaylo Kalfin said on Saturday. Photo by Kameliya Atanasova (Sofia News Agency)
The European Union wants actual results from the reforms in Bulgaria.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn was very honest in his talks in Sofia, Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Ivaylo Kalfin said on Saturday. He added that Rehn has marked progress in some areas that were "in red" in the October report.
Rehn has underlined that Bulgaria should not only implement the wanted reforms but also to achieve actual results from them.
In the words of EU Enlargement Commissioner the planned entry date January 1, 2007 is still doable for Bulgaria, Minister Kafin said.
During a visit to Sofia, Olli Rehn said there were serious concerns about the rule of law in Bulgaria, which hopes to join the EU with neighbouring Romania. If Bulgaria fails to get results, EU entry could be delayed until 2008.
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.