Politics EU 27 : 2 more members

Maciamo

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Romania and Bulgaria have officially been accepted to join the EU on 1 January 2007.

BBC News : EU approves Bulgaria and Romania

BBC said:
Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said both countries had made enough progress to join the union.

But they will be checked for progress in curbing organised crime and corruption, and ensuring food safety and the proper use of EU funds.

Bulgaria's PM said the move was the fall of the Berlin Wall for his nation.
...
Unless Bulgaria cracks down on organised crime, legal decisions taken by its courts could be disregarded in the rest of Europe.

Both countries will have to report every six months on progress in fighting corruption.

By March, they also need to set up agencies to handle millions of euros worth of EU farm aid, or risk losing a quarter of the cash.

Both will face food export bans due to outbreaks of animal diseases like swine fever, while Bulgarian planes could be banned from flying into EU airspace until the country improves its air safety standards.

There could also be restrictions on migration to other EU countries for up to three years.

The conditions of accession are stricter than for the 10 new members of 2004. Allowing the two countries to join in 3 months' time is probably a good thing as the EU will be able to put more pressure on them and force them to carry out much needed reforms. We could see the situation as the EU becoming the tutor of the two Balkan nations, which also means them giving up much more of their sovereignty to Brussels than other EU members, as long as they haven't caught up.
 
We could see the situation as the EU becoming the tutor of the two Balkan nations, which also means them giving up much more of their sovereignty to Brussels than other EU members, as long as they haven't caught up.

I think this is a key element that needs to act more in getting the rest of europe integrated. Honestly i am very dubious that many balkan nations, including the new entries romania and bulgaria, are capable of doing the necesarry reforms alone. The class of politicians in the eastern block is one that has shed the skin from communism and now embraces capitalism, yet they are too ignorant, obtuse, greedy, and simply worthless to get any positive results going for their nations. Brits and Italians and Germans and the French can complain all they want about their politicians but nothing compares to some of the politicians in the Eastern Block. Deep down inside they are like the countless african dictators but because of their setting they have to force that fake expression on their faces grinning full of malice while promoting democracy and prosperity for their people.

Anywho, i suppose it's a good thing that Romania and Bulgaria will get entry thought I truly feel that they are not ready to join in comparison to such nations as Slovenia or Hungary. But I hope all goes well and the region prospers even more making the entry of these two necomers a fresh corridor for the other balkan states to join.
 
You are right about the conditions being stricter, but the economies of both countries are consideraby less advanced that economy of even the poorest EU 2004 newcomer. The question and the decision of joining EU is purely political one, wheres Eurozone entry is conditioned by strict economic criteria (Mastricht criteria). Romania and Bulgaria should do fine in the EU, but their citizens will nevertheles be second-class EU citizens without the right to work in the majority of the EU; at least for a decade.
 
Still they will be able to move freely around and about... and that opens up oppurtunites
 

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