Brussel dreigt Bulgarije en Roemenië met uitstel EU-lidmaatschap als geen werk wordt gemaakt van hervormingen (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - European enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn has said the commission will not hesitate to delay the scheduled accession of Romania and Bulgaria in 2007 by one year, if reform efforts in key areas such as corruption fail.

Mr Rehn made his comments on Tuesday (25 October) before the European Parliament, hours before the Commission's official presentation of two highly critical progress reports on Sofia's and Bucharest's preparations for EU accession.

Romania and Bulgaria signed their accession treaties on 25 April this year, but these treaties for the first time contain a clause with the option to delay the 2007 entry date until 2008 if entry preparations are insufficient.

The commissioner said Brussels would "not hesitate" to make use of the option in its recommendation on the entry date to EU member states, due in April or May 2006.

"We may recommend, if needed, to postpone accession by one year", Mr Rehn said.

"The possibility of being ready in 2007 is not lost, but making it will require a lot of work", he added, referring to both countries.

The commissioner said "serious concerns" existed in areas accounting for around ten percent of EU legislation, where "unless immediate action is taken the countries will not be ready for accession".

One area of Brussels' concern is administrative capacity, where the commissioner said "overall reform of administrative structures" needs to be stepped up in order for both EU hopefuls to be able to absorb EU funds.

The countries still need to set up pay agencies to distribute agricultural cash from Brussels' coffers, the commissioner pointed out.

On top of this, Mr Rehn said "urgent efforts" were necessary to tackle corruption, "particularly at a high level".

The commissioner also highlighted shortcomings in the veterinary field, that may "put at risk food safety" in the EU.

Romania catches up

Brussels' "yellow cards", as some MEPs termed the reports in a subsequent debate, come as a particular blow to Bulgaria.

The Bulgarians have in the past few years always been ahead of their neighbour Romania in their EU preparation, but a close general election result in June left the country in a reform deadlock.

Mr Rehn said Bulgaria has been "working energetically" after it had "lost the momentum somewhat", but it was Romania that got some explicit compliments from the commissioner.

Bucharest had "caught up impressively", the commissioner stated, particularly in the areas of competition policy, justice, state aid and overall alignment with EU law.