Bulgaria Edges Closer to EU Membership

Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha welcomed the agreement and described it as "a great victory" for his country. "Our membership in the EU has turned from a distant dream into a close reality," he told Bulgarian public broadcaster BNT.

Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen, whose country holds the EU presidency, added that "this is a very positive achievement. It sends out a clear signal that momentum is being maintained in the accession process." Coming six months ahead of schedule, he pointed out that "this is a major success for Bulgaria."

Reform still needed

EU leaders will be reviewing the accession treaty at their December summit. If they approve it, it will be signed in Spring 2005.

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy said the talks marked the end of a crucial phase and stressed that over the next two and a half years, the country would be implementing the various commitments made during the negotiations to ensure Bulgaria was ready to enter on January 1, 2007, when the EU makes its second eastward expansion.

New monitoring system may delay entry

But the provisional deal also includes a controversial new "safeguard clause" which gives the EU an emergency break measure to delay Bulgaria's entry for up to a year if a tough new monitoring system concludes Bulgaria has failed to introduce the necessary reforms.

Günter Verheugen, the EU expansion commissioner, warned that Bulgaria still has a lot of work to do. Verheugen said the government still has to "improve its record" in fighting corruption and organized crime.

Mixed feelings

Nonetheless, progress has clearly been made. Tourism and industry are growth sectors, with Germany one of Bulgaria's most important economic partners. Mitko Vassilev, chairman of Business Club of German Economy in Bulgaria and a member of the Board of Bulgaria Economic Forum, cited numerous examples of German investment.

"There's the Metro Cash & Carry, refrigerator manufacturer Liebherr, Knauf and WAZ Group," he said, pointing out that a medium-sized textile business also created 2,200 jobs in the region, exporting mens' suits to western Europe.

The mood on the street, meanwhile, is optimistic but reserved. One young computer programmer told Bavarian public broadcaster BR that he was in favor of EU accession. "Most of the students I graduated with have gone abroad," he said. But the country is becoming increasingly attractive. He points out that "now they might consider returning. There are lots of job opportunities for graduates in Bulgaria."

For others, though, joining the exclusive EU club won't help anything. Small farmers and Bulgaria's Roma minority, for example, see a bleak future ahead of them. "People used to have more respect for us," said one Roma street sweeper. But now, she added, they are more and more marginalized. "We used to get decent factory jobs, but these days all you can do if you only have a primary school education is everyone's dirty work."

Sergei Stanishev, leader of Bulgaria's Socialist opposition, also believes Sofia has been over-hasty. "Unfortunately, the government chose speed over quality," he said.