Bulgarian PM asks for equal treatment by EU

BULGARIA: Bulgaria's new prime minister, Sergei Stanishev, demanded yesterday that the European Union ignores growing fears over the political and economic effects of enlargement when it evaluates his country's progress towards membership next month.

The rejection of the EU constitution by France and Holland cast doubt on the bloc's desire to welcome Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, when their relatively low labour, land and taxation costs would intensify competition for jobs and investment.

Messy coalition-building after Bulgaria's elections this summer only added to the uncertainty, until Socialist leader Mr Stanishev finally emerged as premier, and made it his priority to accelerate crucial reforms that Brussels said were moving too slowly.

"The current situation is significantly worse for us today than it was for the 10 countries in the last expansion," he said, referring to the enlargement of the EU last May. "We insist on equal treatment on the basis of our progress. Bulgaria is no less prepared than the countries from central and eastern Europe 15 months before their entry."

Ten countries joined the EU last year to much fanfare and celebration. But slowing growth in western Europe and the relocation of many major companies to new EU member states has tempered that enthusiasm in countries such as France and Holland.

While Bulgaria and Romania have much work to do before accession - particularly in fighting crime and corruption, cleaning up their law courts and increasing competition and transparency in business - they also fear that the cooling climate towards enlargement places their membership bids in unfair jeopardy.

Brussels has reserved the right to postpone their accession for a year if necessary, and will deliver its next progress report on their reform programmes next month.

"A delay would be a disappointment not only for Bulgaria, but also for the western Balkans," Mr Stanishev said. "We will insist that our progress is evaluated not only until October but through the whole period until January 1st, 2007." In Bucharest, deputy EU integration minister Leonard Orban said yesterday that the next six months were "critical" for Romania's EU bid.

But he offered some hope by predicting that October's EU report would be good, if "not 100 per cent positive" about Romania's progress.

More than 50 parliamentarians from Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Parliament yesterday, to study the workings of the 732-member legislature ahead of accession.