Thursday

28th Mar 2024

Bulgaria and Romania unruffled by Brussels' corruption criticism

  • Both Romania and Bulgaria should better tackle high-level corruption, says Brussels (Photo: Wikipedia)

Bulgaria and Romania have shown little concern over criticism by the European Commission that they are failing to do enough to tackle corruption levels.

The commission on Monday (4 February) issued two interim reports on Bulgaria and Romania's progress in the field of justice and home affairs, calling on the countries to show more zeal in the fight against high-level corruption.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

For Bulgaria, it also says improvement is needed on the handling of organised crime.

"The findings of the European commission are not surprising for us. We did not expect the interim report at this stage to be 100 percent positive," said Betina Joteva of the Bulgarian mission to the EU.

But she added: "The Bulgarian side is committed at the highest political level to strictly follow all requirements" so that the final annual report, expected in July, is more positive.

The Romanian side was equally unruffled.

"The reports are fair and factual and reflect the cooperation between the Romanian government and the European commission," said Theodora Doris Mircea, spokesperson of the Romanian mission to the EU.

She noted that these are only interim reports and there is still time for Bucharest to make progress before publication of the more comprehensive assessments.

The interim reports highlight the concrete areas where the commission thinks the main problems lie so such issues can be tackled before July.

But despite the criticism, the two reports also show the countries' governments have been making an effort. They also prove the "mechanism for cooperation and verification" - set up for Bulgaria and Romania and of which the interim reports are part - is showing results, commission spokesperson Mark Gray said on Monday.

"But to maintain credibility, further efforts are needed," he underlined.

Under Bulgaria and Romania's accession treaties – setting out the terms and conditions of the countries' EU membership - if Sofia and Bucharest fall short of EU standards in certain areas, such as the economy, the internal market, and justice and home affairs, the EU can decide to take certain punishment measures - the so-called safeguard clauses.

The countries' accession packages represent the closest-ever monitoring imposed on a country joining the bloc, following concern in some national capitals that the two states were not sufficiently prepared when they joined on 1 January 2007.

Bulgaria and Romania criticised for corruption levels

The European Commission will on Monday criticise Bulgaria and Romania for their lacklustre fight against corruption and crime – but will stop short of calling for sanctions against the countries.

EU Parliament set to sue EU Commission over Hungary funds

The European Parliament will likely take the European Commission to court for unblocking more than €10bn in funds for Hungary last December. A final nod of approval is still needed by European Parliament president, Roberta Metsola.

EU Commission clears Poland's access to up to €137bn EU funds

The European Commission has legally paved the way for Poland to access up to €137bn EU funds, following Donald Tusk's government's efforts to strengthen the independence of their judiciary and restore the rule of law in the country.

Opinion

Potential legal avenues to prosecute Navalny's killers

The UN could launch an independent international investigation into Navalny's killing, akin to investigation I conducted on Jamal Khashoggi's assassination, or on Navalny's Novichok poisoning, in my role as special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, writes the secretary-general of Amnesty International.

Opinion

I'll be honest — Moldova's judicial system isn't fit for EU

To state a plain truth: at present, Moldova does not have a justice system worthy of a EU member state; it is riven with corruption and lax and inconsistent standards, despite previous attempts at reform, writes Moldova's former justice minister.

Latest News

  1. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  2. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  3. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  4. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  5. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  6. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult
  7. EU unveils plan to create a European cross-border degree
  8. How migrants risk becoming drug addicts along Balkan route

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us