Although the two reports on Bulgaria and Romania are published simultaneously, the EC does not intend to draw or encourage comparisons. The two reports mirror the reality in both countries individually.
The EC deliberately restrained from making a detailed assessment of the results achieved under each of the benchmarks because the period between the latest report in July 2008 and this one was too short, on the one hand, for Bulgaria and Romania to address the shortcomings detected, and on the other hand, for the Commission to revise its assessment, said Zinaida Zlatanova.
We should not forget that when the decision about Bulgaria and Romania’s EU accession was made, the European Commission clearly said the two countries were at a stage that would facilitate and accelerate the reforms more in comparison with a possible delay. The work does not end on the first day of the membership; everyone needs retention of the reform inertia, she added.
Source: FOCUS Information Agency
