BELGIUM: European Commission president welcomes Bulgaria and Romania to European Union on January 1

Record ID: 726150

  • Title: BELGIUM: European Commission president welcomes Bulgaria and Romania to European Union on January 1
  • Date: 31st December 2006
  • Summary: (CEEF) SOFIA, BULGARIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC ON STREETS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING BULGARIAN AND EU FLAGS
  • Embargoed: 15th January 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA4H04A9XDQGW358KUUG8TLEMNS
  • Story Text: Romania and Bulgaria have been welcomed to the European family by Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
    Speaking ahead of accession next Monday (January 1), Barrosso said the EC and the EU celebrated the two new former communist states as new members.
    He told both countries:
    "Your country has gone through an impressive reform process which started more than a decade ago. Your efforts show a strong desire for freedom and democracy, as well the commitment to the European family and our common values.
    "I know it certainly was not always easy to carry out the reforms needed to comply with the very strict rules of the EU but it was worth effort,"
    Both countries have had to carry out reforms to make their justice systems more independent.
    Barroso said the rewards in joining the EU would become apparent in the following years.
    "As important is solidarity and the EU will express its solidarity through the structural funds and also the very generous agricultural funds. And they will help you catch up with the living standards of the EU."
    The EC president concluded that Romania and Bulgaria's membership would strengthen the EU for all its peoples.
    "Today with Romania and Bulgaria 30 million people are joining us, creating an EU of almost half a billion citizens. The EU is already the biggest trade partner in the world and is providing plenty of opportunities for its people and business. United in diversity is the motto of the enlarged EU. In welcoming two new members in the family we know that our culture and heritage will be richer, and our economy will be boosted.
    In theory, Romania and Bulgaria will hit the jackpot when they join the EU and become eligible for billions of euros of the rich club's cash.
    In reality they will struggle for years to get their hands on some 40 billion euros the EU has earmarked for projects such as modernising their potholed roads and backward agriculture and building waste treatment plants.
    Diplomats and analysts say both nations will simply not be able to handle so much money and look set to do a worse job in this respect than the eight former-communist nations which joined the EU in 2004 and which also failed to draw down all the funds available to them.
    Poland, the biggest former-communist newcomer, has spent 2.7 billion euros, or 24 percent, of the EU funds allocated to it for 2004-2006.
    Overall, Brussels says the newcomers spent only a quarter of the regional development aid they were entitled to. This is because the state administration in former-communist countries is ill-prepared to handle the money.
    The absorption of EU funds is additionally hampered by political wrangling which has beset some newcomers in the last two years, distracted decision-makers and slowed down administrative reforms that could speed up procedures.
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