The European Parliament has given the green light for Bulgaria and Romania to join the EU, removing the last obstacle for the Balkan countries to sign the accession treaty on April 25th.
The vote cleared the way for the second wave of the European Union's enlargement into ex-communist eastern Europe after ten countries joined the bloc last May.
European Parliament report
It secures a place in the prosperous European Union for the countries where economic output per capita is below 40 per cent of EU average, although their economies are expanding fast.
Bulgaria and Romania will join the EU on January 1st, 2007 if they implement agreed economic reforms and fight corruption, increasing the number of EU members to 27.
"Romania has made a crucial step towards its EU membership in 2007. After the signing of the membership treaty we will become a real accession country," Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu told reporters in Bucharest.
After they sign the accession treaty, officials from Bulgaria and Romania will be allowed to participate in all EU meetings as observers, boosting the countries' political clout.
The countries' entry may be delayed until 2008 if they drag their feet on implementing reforms on strengthening their administration systems, beefing up border controls and introducing competition policy measures.
"The (executive European) Commission will monitor very closely the preparations of the two countries and will not hesitate to recommend the use of remedial tools should either Bulgaria or Romania be manifestly unprepared," Enlargement Commissioner Ollie Rehn said in a statement.
Rampant corruption is the biggest worry, especially in Romania, and some Green deputies argued today that the country was not yet fit to join the EU.
"High level corruption ..., despite recent efforts, continues to undermine the country's socio-economic and political life," said the parliament's report on Romania.
Romania, with a 22-million population, is seen as worse prepared for EU membership and more corrupt than Bulgaria, which has eighth million citizens.