Commission report encourages Bulgaria, blasts Romania

The European Commission has encouraged Bulgaria and chastised Romania for the way they have tackled organized crime and corruption over the past 12 months in a report due to be published Tuesday (July 20).

The commission is still monitoring the progress the two Balkan neighbours are making in justice and home affairs through the so-called Co-operation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) - a stick-and-carrot arrangement intended to help them match the EU law-and-order standards not achieved...