EU ministers give nod to Bulgaria, Romania's entry in 2007

The European Union (EU) foreign ministers on Tuesday approved the report of the European Commission that gives the green light to Bulgaria and Romania's accession into the bloc on Jan. 1, 2007.

"The (EU) Council welcomes the Commission's report which concludes that Bulgaria and Romania, based on the progress they have made, will be in a position to take on the rights and obligations of membership on Jan.1, 2007," said a statement issued after the two-day EU foreign ministers' meeting, which started here on Monday.

The ministers commended Bulgaria and Romania for the reforms undertaken and asked both countries to complete their final preparations. They also underlined the importance of the continued political commitment of the two countries to address outstanding issues.

The ministers supported the efforts to set up a mechanism for cooperation and verification of the progress in areas of judicial reform, the fight against organized crime and corruption, and if necessary and appropriate, the possibility of imposing safeguard measures against the two countries.

"The EU Council notes the advancement of the ongoing process of ratification of the Accession Treaty and looks forward to welcoming Bulgaria and Romania as members of the Union on Jan. 1, 2007," said the statement.

At present, 22 out of 25 EU member states have gone through the ratification process of the accession treaty for the two countries.

According to the EU's rules, the EU summit in December will give final approval for their entry.

Source: Xinhua