Bulgaria and Romania get target date for entry

In an unexpected move, the European Council, comprised of the Heads of state and government of the 15, has agreed to support Bulgaria's and Romania's 2007 target date for possible accession to the EU.

The recently-published progress reports from the Commission on the two countries had left out any direct reference to an accession date, raising some eye-lids in Bucharest and Sofia.

Viorel Ardeleanu, a senior diplomat attached to the Romanian Permanent Representation to the EU expr...