EU says Bulgaria, Romania to join it in 2007

Bulgaria News Network ^ | 12.12.2003

[yonif]

SOFIA (bnn)— The European Union approved Friday a timetable for Balkan neighbors Bulgaria and Romania to join it in 2007, Bulgarian state radio reported. The European Council said in a resolution that it was a EU goal to admit Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, if by then they are ready to meet membership criteria.

The Council urged the European Commission to propose no later than next January the amount of financial aid that will be offered to the two countries for the beginning of their membership.

The proposal of the so-called "financial framework" is critical for Bulgaria and Romania to complete the negotiations on the so-called "financial chapters" of the talks: agriculture, competition, regional policy.

The Council, which convened Friday in Brussels, urged Bulgaria and Romania to continue vehemently membership-related reforms so that they be able to complete accession talks with the EU within the next year.

The timetable calls for the two countries to sign membership treaties with the EU as early as possible in 2005 and finally join the Union in 2007.

The EU said it was vital for Bulgaria and Romania to carry further on reforms in their legal systems and state administrations.

[thoughtomator]

EU racism ping

[a_Turk]

I hope our nationalists will be strong enough to provide balance once our people wake up from their delusional dream.

[Norse]

So I guess you're against Turkey in the E.U.? I would have to agree with you...given the situation of the E.U. as it is being constructed by French bureaucrats...

[a_Turk]

We didn't die by the hundreds of thousands and kill at least as many 80 years ago just so we could hand our sovereignty over to a bunch of clueless EU socialist beurocrats.

Turkey must look to the Turkic speaking populations which span central Asia from Turkey to China, and stand ready for the next crumble in Russia to pick up the pieces.

This cowtowing to the pathetic Europeans is outrageous, and should stop well before the EU hands our Turkish honor it's head.. That's a real danger and will throw the entire region into chaos if the nationalist movement is too weak to counter the urge of a return to piety and isolationism.

[Spruce]

I have a hard time grasping how the eastern European countries with less than one generation of autonomy would want anything to do with surrendering sovereignity.

[Norse]

Thanks for the excellent analysis...

Looks like Turkey has 2 main threats at the moment - the French and other Socialist EU bureaucrats with their centrist/socialist/humanist ideals, and the militant Muslims. Hopefully the ideals of Ataturk can keep the situation stable.