Europaudvalget 2004
KOM (2004) 0657
Offentligt
1445276_0001.png
KOMMISSIONEN FOR DE EUROPÆISKE FÆLLESSKABER
Bruxelles, den 6.10.2004
KOM(2004) 657 endelig
MEDDELELSE FRA KOMMISSIONEN
TIL RÅDET OG EUROPA-PARLAMENTET
Strategidokument fra Europa-Kommissionen om fremskridt i forbindelse
med udvidelsen
{SEK(2004) 1199, 1200}
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1445276_0002.png
MEDDELELSE FRA KOMMISSIONEN
TIL RÅDET OG EUROPA-PARLAMENTET
Strategidokument fra Europa-Kommissionen om fremskridt i forbindelse
med udvidelsen
1.
I
NDLEDNING
Udvidelsen af EU med ti nye medlemsstater den 1. maj 2004 har yderligere styrket det
europæiske kontinents enhed. De historiske og politiske argumenter til fordel for denne
udvidelse er overbevisende: den fremmer fred, velstand, stabilitet og sikkerhed og har også
skabt væsentlige økonomiske værdier.
Bulgarien og Rumænien er en integrerende del af denne udvidelsesproces, der blev lanceret i
1997. Begge lande er tæt på at afslutte forhandlingerne. EU ønsker at begge lande, skal blive
medlemmer i januar 2007, hvis de er klar til det.
I dette års periodiske rapporter bekræfter Kommissionen i sin vurdering, at Unionens
førtiltrædelsesstrategi med Bulgarien og Rumænien har været en succes. Forvandlingen i
begge lande er gået hurtigere på grund af udsigten til udvidelse. Kommissionen vil gøre alt for
at nå det mål, som Det Europæiske Råd har sat, om at bringe forhandlingerne med Bulgarien
og Rumænien til en vellykket afslutning i 2004 på grundlag af deres egne resultater, således at
tiltrædelsestraktaten kan underskrives så tidligt som mulig i 2005.
Det Europæiske Råd besluttede i juni 2004, at tiltrædelsesforhandlingerne med Kroatien skal
starte i begyndelsen af 2005. Kommissionen har i det følgende opstillet nogle forslag til en
ramme for disse forhandlinger, der bygger på de erfaringer, der er gjort i forbindelse med den
nuværende udvidelse. Der bliver også præsenteret en førtiltrædelsesstrategi for Kroatien med
tilhørende finansieringsinstrumenter.
På linje med Det Europæiske Råds konklusioner af december 2002 vurderer Kommissionen i
et særskilt dokument, om Tyrkiet opfylder de politiske Københavnskriterier, og om der bør
indledes tiltrædelsesforhandlinger
1
. Alle vestlige Balkanlande har udsigt til at blive
kandidatlande. Den Tidligere Jugoslaviske Republik Makedonien har allerede søgt om
medlemskab, og Kommissionen er efter anmodning fra Rådet ved at udarbejde en udtalelse
om ansøgningen.
2.
2.1.
B
ULGARIEN OG
R
UMÆNIEN
Fremskridt med hensyn til at opfylde medlemskabskriterierne
I de periodiske rapporter er der foretaget en vurdering af de fremskridt, som Bulgarien og
Rumænien har gjort med hensyn til at opfylde medlemskabskriterierne hvad angår lovgivning
og foranstaltninger, som er vedtaget og gennemført.
1
Europa-Kommissionens henstilling vedrørende Tyrkiets fremskridt mod tiltrædelse, KOM(2004) 656.
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I dette års periodiske rapporter vurderes Bulgariens og Rumæniens evne til at påtage sig alle
medlemskabsforpligtelser ved tiltrædelsen. Der er foretaget en evaluering af de fremskridt, de
har gjort inden for det seneste år, og der er også en gennemgang af de fremskridt, de har gjort
siden udtalelserne fra 1997, og hvilke resultater de har opnået med hensyn til at gennemføre
de forpligtelser, de påtog sig under forhandlingerne.
Bulgarien opfylder fortsat Københavnskriterierne i politisk henseende. Der må ske
forbedringer, især med reformen af deres offentlige administration, med deres retssystems
funktion og med bekæmpelsen af korruption.
Bulgarien og Rumænien opfylder kriteriet med at være en fungerende markedsøkonomi. Hvis
Bulgarien forsætter med sin reformkurs og Rumænien med den energiske gennemførelse af
strukturreformprogrammet, vil de kunne klare konkurrencepresset og markedskræfterne inden
for Unionen.
Bulgarien og Rumænien har fortsat gjort gode fremskridt med hensyn til at vedtage gældende
fællesskabsret og har generelt set opfyldt de forpligtelser, de indgik under forhandlingerne.
De vil kunne blive færdige med den nødvendige lovgennemførelse inden tiltrædelsen, hvis de
fortsætter med den hidtidige hastighed. De vil fortsat skulle gøre en indsats for at udvikle den
nødvendige administrative og retlige kapacitet til at gennemføre og håndhæve gældende
fællesskabsret.
Konklusionerne i de periodiske rapporter om Bulgarien og Rumænien kan ses i bilag 1. I de
periodiske rapporter peges der på en række områder, hvor der skal ske yderligere forbedringer
i forbindelse med de politiske og de økonomiske kriterier og i forbindelse med vedtagelse,
gennemførelse og håndhævelse af gældende fællesskabsret. Der må fortsat arbejdes energisk
på sådanne forbedringer, for at de konstaterede mangler kan blive afhjulpet inden tiltrædelsen.
2.2.
Færdiggørelse af tiltrædelsesprocessen
Tiltrædelsesforhandlingerne
er langt fremme. I foråret 2004 blev der fastlagt en ramme til
finansiering af Bulgariens og Rumæniens tiltrædelse. Hermed kunne der foretages en
foreløbig afslutning af alle kapitler med Bulgarien i juni 2004. For Rumænien mangler der at
blive forhandlet tre kapitler (konkurrence, miljø og retlige og indre anliggender) samt dele af
kapitel 31 (Andet). Der vil skulle gøres en yderligere indsats, især inden for
konkurrencekapitlet med hensyn til statsstøtte og inden for kapitlet om retlige og indre
anliggender med hensyn til retligt samarbejde, bekæmpelse af korruption og organiseret
kriminalitet samt grænseforvaltning.
Det vil på linje med praksis ved tidligere tiltrædelser ikke være muligt at gå ud over et vist
tidspunkt i behandlingen af ny fællesskabsret under forhandlingerne. I lyset af hvor langt man
er nået i forhandlingerne og udsigten til, at tiltrædelsestraktaten vil blive underskrevet så
tidligt som muligt i 2005, mener Kommissionen, at forhandlingerne bør dække alt det i
gældende fællesskabsret, der er vedtaget og offentliggjort inden den 1. oktober 2004.
Bulgarien og Rumænien bør derfor meddele sin stilling med hensyn til alt nyt i
fællesskabsretten, der er vedtaget indtil den dato. Hermed vil der kunne tages fat på eventuelle
overgangsordninger, inden forhandlingerne afsluttes.
Resultaterne af tiltrædelsesforhandlingerne med hensyn til vedtagne overgangsordninger og
tekniske tilpasninger til gældende fællesskabsret som følge af udvidelsen, vil blive indarbejdet
i
tiltrædelsestraktaten.
Arbejdet med udkastet til denne traktat startede i juli 2004.
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Når traktatens tekst en gang er vedtaget af alle parterne i forhandlingerne i overensstemmelse
med artikel 49 i EU-traktaten, skal Kommissionen afgive sin udtalelse. Europa-Parlamentet
vil derefter blive anmodet om at afgive samstemmende udtalelse, som følges op af en
afgørelse fra Rådet om optagelse af Bulgarien og Rumænien. Formålet er at få
tiltrædelsestraktaten undertegnet så tidligt som muligt i 2005, således at den kan træde i kraft
den 1. januar 2007. Efter undertegnelsen vil traktaten blive forelagt til ratificering af de
nuværende og kommende medlemsstater.
Kommissionen mener, at procedurerne for beslutningstagning i forbindelse med anmodninger
fra Bulgarien og Rumænien om overgangsordninger for retsakter fra institutionerne, der er
vedtaget mellem den 1. oktober 2004 og tiltrædelsesdatoen, bør strømlines for at sikre en
smidig overgang for beslutningstagning før og efter tiltrædelsen. Desuden vil de få status som
aktive observatører i Rådet, i de udvalg, hvor Kommissionen har forsæde, samt i givet fald i
andre institutioner fra undertegnelsen af traktaten.
Kommissionen fører et indgående
tilsyn
med, hvordan Bulgarien og Rumænien opfylder de
forpligtelser, de har påtaget sig under forhandlingerne. Det er meget vigtigt, at disse
forpligtelser bliver gennemført som planlagt. Kommissionen vil derfor fortsætte med sit
intensive tilsyn efter afslutningen af forhandlingerne.
Ud fra analysen i de periodiske rapporter vil Kommissionen føre tilsyn med fremskridtene ved
at gøre intensiv brug af strukturerne i associeringsaftalerne og alle andre tilsynsinstrumenter,
herunder peer reviews. Fra november 2005 vil Kommissionen hvert år forelægge omfattende
tilsynsrapporter, der dækker alle kapitler i gældende fællesskabsret, offentlig forvaltning,
retsvæsenet og bekæmpelse af korruption samt resultaterne i de økonomiske reformer.
Eventuelle forsinkelser eller problemer i forbindelse med økonomisk reform eller med
opfyldelsen af forpligtelser vil blive påpeget af Kommissionen, blandt andet gennem en hurtig
varsling på politisk plan, og meddelt til Rådet på grundlag af gældende procedurer. For så vidt
angår alvorlige mangler vil tiltrædelsestraktaten indeholde tre
beskyttelsesklausuler,
som
kan træde i kraft som en sidste udvej (generelle økonomiske anliggender, indre marked,
retlige og indre anliggender).
Eftersom der sandsynligvis vil gå lang tid fra afslutningen af forhandlingerne til den
forventede tiltrædelsesdato for Bulgarien og Rumænien og på grund af det store antal
forpligtelser, der endnu ikke er opfyldt, mener Kommissionen, at tiltrædelsestraktaten som en
forsigtighedsforanstaltning bør indeholde en specifik beskyttelsesklausul. Denne
beskyttelsesklausul er allerede vedtaget under forhandlingerne med Bulgarien og bør også
gælde for Rumænien. Hermed vil Kommissionen til hver en tid inden tiltrædelsestraktatens
ikrafttræden kunne henstille, at Rådet udskyder den planlagte dato for Bulgariens eller
Rumæniens tiltrædelse med et år indtil januar 2008, hvis det står klart, at der er alvorlig risiko
for, at Bulgarien eller Rumænien slet ikke vil være forberedt til at opfylde kravene til
medlemskab inden den 1. januar 2007 inden for en række vigtige områder.
I tiden op til tiltrædelsen vil Unionen fortsat hjælpe Bulgarien og Rumænien med at forberede
sig til medlemskab gennem
førtiltrædelsesstrategien.
Dette betyder omfattende finansiel
bistand til begge lande, således at de kan indhente det, de mangler i fuldt ud at opfylde
tiltrædelseskriterierne.
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2.3.
Efter optagelsen i Unionen
Processen med kraftig styrkelse af den administrative og retlige kapacitet vil skulle fortsætte,
også efter at Bulgarien og Rumænien er blevet optaget i Unionen. Derfor foreslår
Kommissionen, at der bliver oprettet en særlig overgangsfacilitet til institutionsopbygning. I
den forbindelse vil der blive benyttet nogle af de EF-finansierede instrumenter, som har vist
sig at være nyttige, for eksempel parvist samarbejde.
Bulgarien og Rumænien kan ifølge EU-traktaten ikke straks ved tiltrædelsen overtage euroen.
Med hensyn til anvendelse af Schengen-bestemmelserne vil ophævelsen af kontrollen ved de
indre grænser tilsvarende først finde sted et stykke tid efter tiltrædelsen og vil blive vedtaget
for hver ny medlemsstat hver for sig, når de opfylder Schengen-bestemmelserne.
Bulgarien og Rumænien vil skulle ansøge om at blive optaget i Det Europæiske Økonomiske
Samarbejdsområde (EØS), og deres tiltrædelse af EØS vil finde sted på samme tid som deres
tiltrædelse af EU. Andre internationale aftaler vil skulle tilpasses som følge af udvidelsen, så
snart tiltrædelsestraktaten er undertegnet.
2.4.
Konklusioner
Det fremgår af dette års periodiske rapporter, at Bulgarien og Rumænien har gjort yderligere
fremskridt med hensyn til at gennemføre Københavnskriterierne. Bulgarien og Rumænien
opfylder de politiske kriterier. I betragtning af de fremskridt, der er gjort i begge lande, hvad
de har nået med hensyn til at gennemføre deres forpligtelser, og under hensyntagen til deres
igangværende forberedende arbejde forventer Kommissionen, at disse to lande vil have
opfyldt de økonomiske og fællesskabsretlige kriterier og være klar til medlemskab inden
1. januar 2007.
Kommissionen vil gøre alt for at nå det mål, som Det Europæiske Råd har sat, om at bringe
forhandlingerne med Bulgarien og Rumænien til en vellykket afslutning i 2004 på grundlag af
deres egne resultater, således at tiltrædelsestraktaten kan underskrives så tidligt som mulig i
2005.
3.
3.1.
K
ROATIEN
Førtiltrædelsesstrategi
Det Europæiske Råd i Bruxelles i juni 2004 konkluderede, at Kroatien er et kandidatland, og
at der vil blive indledt tiltrædelsesforhandlinger i begyndelsen af 2005, og Kommissionen
blev anmodet om at udarbejde en førtiltrædelsesstrategi for Kroatien. Kommissionen mener,
at den udbyggede førtiltrædelsesstrategi for kandidatlande, som blev besluttet af Det
Europæiske Råd i Luxembourg i december 1997 bør udvides til at omfatte Kroatien.
Elementerne i denne strategi er skitseret nedenfor.
Den procedure, der anvendes til at vurdere kandidatlandenes fremskridt mod medlemskab, vil
blive sat i gang for Kroatiens vedkommende i 2005. Det betyder, at Kommissionen vil
begynde at udarbejde periodiske rapporter om Kroatien fra efteråret 2005. I forbindelse med
stabiliserings- og associeringsprocessen har Kommissionen allerede foreslået et europæisk
partnerskab baseret på, hvad der fremgik af udtalelsen om Kroatiens ansøgning om
medlemskab. Dette dokument vil være en vejledning for Kroatien i dens forberedelser til
tiltrædelsen.
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Kroatien bør som kandidatland nyde godt af alle tre finansielle førtiltrædelsesinstrumenter:
Phare til institutionsopbygning og økonomisk og social samhørighed, ISPA til miljø og
transport og SAPARD til udvikling af landdistrikter. Kommissionen vil foreslå ændringer til
forordningerne for disse tre førtiltrædelsesinstrumenter, så de også kommer til at gælde for
Kroatien fra 1. januar 2005. I betragtning af at det er nødvendigt, at Kroatien forbereder sig på
passende måde til tiltrædelsen, anbefaler Kommissionen, at der afsættes 105 mio. EUR
(80 mio. EUR til Phare og 25 mio. EUR til ISPA) til Kroatien i 2005 og 140 mio. EUR i 2006
(80 mio. EUR til Phare, 35 mio. EUR til ISPA og 25 mio. EUR til SAPARD). Disse beløb vil
blive finansieret af førtiltrædelsesmidlerne, der er tilgængelige under udgiftsområde 7 i
indeværende finansielle overslag. Kommissionen har foreslået Rådet, at der oprettes et nyt
førtiltrædelsesinstrument (IPA), som Kroatien vil kunne modtage bistand fra fra 2007 og
fremover, og som bygger på de nuværende førtiltrædelsesinstrumenter Phare, ISPA og
SAPARD. Hvilke beløb der vil blive afsat til Kroatien fra 2007 og fremover, vil blive
besluttet i forbindelse med det næste finansielle overslag.
Stabiliserings- og associeringsaftalen (SAA), der blev undertegnet med Kroatien i oktober
2001, er nu blevet ratificeret. For at kunne gennemføre de handelsrelaterede aspekter ved
SAA trådte der en interimsaftale i kraft i marts 2002. Der vil blive oprettet et stabiliserings-
og associeringsråd, et udvalg og underudvalg. Kommissionen foreslår, at strukturerne i SAA
anvendes ikke blot til at dække emner, der vedrører gennemførelse af aftalen, men som også
tjener som et forum, hvor gældende fællesskabsret kan forklares, og hvor det kan vurderes,
hvilke fremskridt Kroatien gør med hensyn til tilpasning til gældende fællesskabsret hvad
angår de forpligtelser, landet påtager sig under forhandlingerne.
Den rammeaftale, der giver Kroatien mulighed for at deltage i EF-programmer og –agenturer,
bør træde i kraft i første halvdel af 2005 efter at være blevet ratificeret af EU-institutionerne
og Kroatien. Kroatiens finansielle bidrag til det enkelte program kan delvis finansieres af
Phare.
Ud over ovennævnte elementer til en styrket førtiltrædelsesstrategi mener Kommissionen, at
der fortsat bør være en indgående politisk dialog med Kroatien, for at der kan blive taget fat
om de områder, der er påpeget i udtalelsen. Der er tale om forbindelserne med Den
Internationale Krigsforbrydertribunal for det tidligere Jugoslavien, mindretalsrettigheder,
flygtninges tilbagevenden, reform af retsvæsenet, regionalt samarbejde og bekæmpelse af
korruption. Kroatien må blandt andet arbejde videre med det regionale samarbejde inden for
rammerne af stabiliserings- og associeringsprocessen for det vestlige Balkan. Kommissionen
vil overvåge disse områder på nært hold under de regelmæssige møder med de kroatiske
myndigheder og vil holde Rådet underrettet herom.
3.2.
Forhandlingsramme
Det Europæiske Råd i Bruxelles i juni 2004 besluttede at ”Forud for forhandlingerne med
Kroatien vil Rådet fastlægge en generel forhandlingsramme, der fuldt ud tager hensyn til
erfaringerne fra den femte udvidelsesrunde”. Kommissionen foreslår, at denne ramme skal
bygge på følgende principper:
•
Forhandlingerne med Kroatien bør foregå efter de tiltrædelsesbetingelser, der blev fastlagt
af Det Europæiske Råd i København i 1993. Disse betingelser er passende værktøjer til at
måle, om et kandidatland er forberedt til at opfylde forpligtelserne ved medlemskab og
udgør en klar vejledning i reformprocessen.
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•
Om der gøres fremskridt i forhandlingerne vil fuldstændigt afhænge af de politiske
reformers bæredygtighed og Kroatiens opfyldelse af sine forpligtelser med hensyn til
regionalt samarbejde med andre lande i det tidligere Jugoslavien og andre hertil knyttede
internationale forpligtelser som for eksempel samarbejdet med ICTY.
•
På linje med traktaten om Den Europæiske Union og forfatningen for Europa vil
Kommissionen henstille, at forhandlingerne suspenderes i tilfælde af alvorlige og
vedvarende brud på principperne om frihed, demokrati, respekt for menneskerettigheder og
grundlæggende frihedsrettigheder samt retsstaten, som Unionen bygger på. Rådet bør
kunne træffe afgørelse om en sådan henstilling ved kvalificeret flertal blandt
medlemsstaterne.
•
Forhandlingerne vil foregå efter princippet om egne resultater. Eventuelle
overgangsordninger bør være begrænsede i anvendelsesområde og tid og bør ikke have en
signifikant indvirkning på det indre markeds konkurrenceevne eller funktion.
•
Umiddelbart efter den formelle indledning af tiltrædelsesforhandlingerne med Kroatien vil
Kommissionen tilrettelægge en formel gennemgang af gældende fællesskabsret, kaldet
screening, for at forklare den over for de kroatiske myndigheder og for at få en foreløbig
antydning af, hvilke områder der mest sandsynligt vil komme op i forhandlingerne.
•
Når et kapitel er blevet screenet, vil Kommissionen ud fra sin seneste udtalelse om
Kroatien henstille, at der indledes forhandlinger herom, forudsat at Kroatien er
tilstrækkeligt forberedt.
•
Hvor hurtigt forhandlingerne går, vil afhænge af, hvordan Kroatien overtager og
gennemfører gældende fællesskabsret, og hvor virkningsfuldt og effektivt den bliver
håndhævet gennem de rette administrative og retlige strukturer.
•
Inden der bliver indledt forhandlinger under et kapitel, vil Kommissionen foreslå Rådet
benchmarks for den midlertidige lukning af hvert enkel kapitel. Disse benchmarks kan
vedrøre tilpasning af lovbestemmelser eller tilfredsstillende resultater med hensyn til
gennemførelsen. Denne fremgangsmåde har blandt andet været vellykket inden for
konkurrencekapitlet.
•
Om der gøres fremskridt i forhandlingerne vil afhænge af, om Kroatien opfylder sine
forpligtelser i henhold til stabiliserings- og associeringsaftalen, især dem, der afspejler
kravene i gældende fællesskabsret for eksempel på konkurrenceområdet. Alle forpligtelser
af den art skal være fuldstændig opfyldt, inden et kapitel kan lukkes midlertidigt.
•
Kommissionen vil nøje overvåge Kroatiens fremskridt mod tiltrædelse ved hjælp af alle
tilgængelige instrumenter.
4.
K
ONKLUSIONER OG HENSTILLINGER
Kommissionens konklusioner og henstillinger er i lyset af ovenstående som følger:
(1)
Det fremgår af dette års periodiske rapporter, at Bulgarien og Rumænien har gjort
yderligere fremskridt i det forløbne år med gennemførelsen af tiltrædelseskriterierne.
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(2)
Bulgarien og Rumænien opfylder de politiske kriterier. I betragtning af de fremskridt,
der er gjort i disse lande, hvad de har nået med hensyn til at gennemføre deres
forpligtelser, og under hensyntagen til deres igangværende forberedende arbejde
forventer Kommissionen, at disse to lande vil have opfyldt de økonomiske og
fællesskabsretlige kriterier og være klar til medlemskab inden 1. januar 2007.
Kommissionen vil gøre alt for at nå det mål, som Det Europæiske Råd har sat, om at
bringe forhandlingerne med Bulgarien og Rumænien til en vellykket afslutning i 2004
på grundlag af deres egne resultater, således at tiltrædelsestraktaten kan underskrives
så tidligt som mulig i 2005.
(3)
I de periodiske rapporter peges der på en række områder, hvor der skal ske yderligere
forbedringer i forbindelse med de politiske og de økonomiske kriterier og i forbindelse
med overtagelse, gennemførelse og håndhævelse af gældende fællesskabsret. Der må
fortsat arbejdes energisk på sådanne forbedringer, for at de konstaterede mangler kan
afhjælpes inden tiltrædelsen. For at kunne analysere fremskridt og lette medlemskab af
Den Europæiske Union vil Kommissionen føre et indgående tilsyn og regelmæssigt
rapportere til Rådet derom. Kommissionen vil fra november 2005 hvert år udarbejde
omfattende tilsynsrapporter til Rådet og Parlamentet. Kommissionen mener, at det er
nødvendigt at indføre en specifik beskyttelsesklausul i tiltrædelsestraktaten, således at
Kommissionen kan henstille, at Rådet udskyder den planlagte dato for Bulgariens eller
Rumæniens tiltrædelse med et år indtil januar 2008, hvis det står klart, at der er
alvorlig risiko for, at Bulgarien eller Rumænien slet ikke vil være forberedt til at
opfylde kravene til medlemskab inden den 1. januar 2007 inden for en række vigtige
områder.
Kommissionen henstiller, at den udbyggede førtiltrædelsesstrategi for kandidatlande,
som blev besluttet af Det Europæiske Råd i Luxembourg i december 1997 udvides til
at omfatte Kroatien, som skitseret ovenfor.
Kommissionen minder om, at Det Europæiske Råd har besluttet at indlede
forhandlinger med Kroatien i begyndelsen af 2005, og foreslår, at forhandlingsrammen
for Kroatien, der bygger på de i dette dokument skitserede principper, færdiggøres
med henblik herpå.
(4)
(5)
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A
NNEX
: C
ONCLUSIONS OF THE
R
EGULAR
R
EPORTS ON
B
ULGARIA AND
R
OMANIA
Bulgaria
Since the Commission concluded in its 1997 Opinion that Bulgaria fulfilled the political
criteria, the country has further consolidated and deepened the stability of its institutions
guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of
minorities. This trend has been confirmed over the past year. Bulgaria continues to fulfil the
political criteria.
Tangible progress was made in public administration reform with the adoption of
amendments to the Civil service law. The specific structures for co-ordinating European
integration continue to function well, and in view of Bulgaria’s aim of building a qualified
and efficient civil service by the time of accession this progress needs to spread throughout
the public administration. Also, interdepartmental coordination should improve. Attention
should be given to the legal framework for local and regional administration, which will play
an important role in the implementation of the
acquis.
Building on important reforms of the judiciary system achieved in recent years, there have
been positive developments with regard to the recruitment and appointment of judges. Still,
certain key parts of the reform of the judiciary remain to be adopted. The complexity and
efficiency of the penal structures, in particular in the pre-trial phase, is a matter of concern.
Strong efforts will be necessary to foster Bulgaria’s capacity to prosecute organised crime and
corruption, which involves further reforms in the structures of the judiciary and of the police.
Bulgaria has implemented several measures in the fight against corruption, but it remains a
problem. Renewed efforts are needed, including tackling high level corruption.
Bulgaria continues to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. Further progress
should be pursued in specific areas to improve their implementation in practice.
Comprehensive legislation on anti-discrimination was adopted but the independent body
required by the law has not yet been established. The freedom of expression is ensured by
law. However, the legal framework regarding libel and defamation by journalists needs to be
revised. Efforts to address inadequate living conditions in certain prisons and problems of ill-
treatment in custody need to be sustained. Trafficking in human beings is a serious problem
and needs to be addressed. A new law on public health should address most of the issues
related to the placement of mentally disabled people. The structures responsible for child
welfare and their co-ordination with the relevant ministries need to be reinforced.
Efforts have been made in the past years to develop a framework to tackle the problems faced
by minorities, but the situation on the ground has not evolved much. Sustained efforts
including allocation of appropriate financial resources will be necessary to effectively
implement the intentions and to combat in particular anti-Roma prejudice.
The 1997 Opinion already acknowledged the substantial reform efforts undertaken by the
Bulgarian authorities to transform their economy. Since the Opinion economic structure and
performance have significantly improved. Macroeconomic stability has been achieved soon
after the Opinion, profound economic reforms have been carried out over the entire period
while the Bulgarian authorities’ commitment to the economic requirements of EU accession
has been sustained.
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Hence, it is concluded that Bulgaria is a functioning market economy. The continuation of its
current reform path should enable Bulgaria to cope with competitive pressure and market
forces within the Union.
Improvements can be made in sustaining macroeconomic stability and in deepening structural
reforms. The current account deficit has widened substantially in 2003 and could, if
continuing, warrant a further policy response. The business environment, in particular the
efficiency of the administrative and judicial system as well as regulatory procedures, should
be further improved to increase Bulgaria’s attractiveness for investment. In spite of significant
achievements, privatisation still needs to be completed. While the legal framework is largely
in place, the actual restructuring and liberalisation of the network industries need to progress
further in order to enhance competition and efficiency. The ongoing reduction in
unemployment should be further supported by reducing rigidities in labour market regulation.
Since the Opinion, Bulgaria has made good progress in adopting the
acquis
and more
recently, has also made progress in gradually building up the administrative capacity to
implement and effectively enforce the
acquis.
Over the past year, Bulgaria has made further progress in the vast majority of the chapters of
the
acquis
and is on track to complete the required legislative transposition before the planned
date of accession if the current pace of progress is maintained.
Overall, Bulgaria has now achieved a reasonable degree of alignment with the
acquis
in the
large majority of areas. It is also on track in developing adequate administrative capacity to
implement the
acquis
in a considerable number of fields. Bulgaria has established most of the
necessary institutional structures. Nevertheless, in some sectors, further efforts and resources
are required to strengthen the capacities of these institutions and to ensure their effective
functioning. In order to cover the remaining gaps, due attention should be given to the full and
timely implementation of the strategies and action plans for the reinforcement of
administrative capacity already approved in these areas.
In the field of internal market, Bulgaria has continued to make progress in most areas as
regards the
free movement of goods
in terms of transposition of the
acquis
and the
development of the administrative capacity. However, further efforts are required to develop
the administrative capacity to implement the
acquis
on industrial products and as regards
foodstuff and food safety. Mutual recognition clauses are still to be introduced into the
Bulgarian legislation falling under the non-harmonised areas. Alignment of the legislation on
public procurement needs to be completed. As regards
free movement of persons,
some
progress was made in the field of mutual recognition of professional qualifications but work is
still needed on the framework legislation for mutual recognition and with regard to the future
co-ordination of social security systems. As regard the right for establishment and the
freedom
to provide services,
efforts are required to unequivocally eliminate the remaining restrictions
and discriminatory measures on foreigners despite some corrective actions. As regard
financial services, major parts of the
acquis
on insurance remain to be transposed. In the area
of
free movement of capital,
Bulgaria still has to adopt legislation on capital movements and
payment systems. Efforts to improve the framework in the fight against money laundering
should be maintained.
As regards
company law,
particular attention should be paid to the effective enforcement of
industrial and intellectual property rights, in particular through strengthening border controls
and improving co-ordination between the law enforcement bodies. In the area of
competition,
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Bulgarian has further updated its legislative framework and further strengthened its
administrative capacity. Sustained efforts are required in order to continue to improve the
quality of its State aid enforcement.
Regarding
agriculture,
Bulgaria has continued to make good progress in the transposition
process. Further strengthening of administrative structures has been noted. However,
significant work is still needed in the veterinary field and in the setting up of the paying
agency and IACS. With regard to
fisheries,
legal alignment has taken place according to
schedule. However, further progress has to be made regarding the administrative and
technical capacity for inspection and control.
As regard
transport,
Bulgaria has made steady progress in transposing the
acquis
in most
sectors, however administrative capacity should be further strengthened. Further efforts are
needed to align the inland waterway legislation. Particular attention should be devoted to
improving the maritime safety record and to the building up and reinforcement of the
necessary capacities and structures for Port State and Flag State control.
In the area of
taxation,
Bulgaria’s indirect legislation is to a significant extent aligned with the
acquis,
notably as far as VAT is concerned. Further transposition is required as regards excise
duties and direct taxation. Efforts should continue as concerns specifically interconnectivity
with EU systems.
On
social policy and employment,
progress has continued in alignment with the
acquis.
Further efforts for the effective implementation of the transposed legislation need to be
undertaken in particular in the areas of labour law, occupational safety and health, public
health, anti-discrimination as well as equal opportunities for women and men. Administrative
capacity needs to be strengthened,
inter alia
with regard to ESF management and
implementation.
Regarding
energy,
Bulgaria is making good progress in its legislative alignment and in its
preparation to the internal energy market. The restructuring and privatisation of the energy
sector is progressing well but particular efforts are still needed to improve energy efficiency
and the use of renewable energy. Bulgaria must continue to respect its commitments on
nuclear safety, notably as regards closure commitments for certain units of the Kozloduy
nuclear power plant, and to ensure a high level of nuclear safety in its installations.
Although a reasonable degree of alignment with
acquis
in the
telecommunications
has been
reached, Bulgaria needs to adopt further implementing legislation and ensure that the
regulatory body is strengthened.
Concerning
regional policy and co-ordination of structural instruments,
Bulgaria has made
progress notably with regard to establishing the legal framework and designating institutional
structures. However, considerable efforts are still needed to improve the administrative
capacity in key Ministries and improving the capacity of other relevant bodies, such as the
intermediate bodies, and other relevant players both at central and regional level. Priority
must also be given to the setting up of efficient and integrated monitoring and evaluation
systems as well as to further improving the financial management and control systems.
Attention must be paid to observance of an ambitious planning schedule for the National
Development Plan and to the full involvement of relevant partner organisations in this
process.
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With regard to the
environment,
Bulgaria has achieved a reasonable degree of alignment with
the
acquis
and the necessary administrative structures are in place. However, further
strengthening of the enforcement authorities notably at regional and local level is required as
well as the provision of adequate financial resources for State and private sector investment.
In the area of
consumer and health protection,
a reasonable degree of alignment with the
acquis
has been reached in the area of safety related measures. However, further alignment is
particularly needed with regard to the non-safety related measures and Bulgaria should ensure
that the administrative structures in place can effectively enforce legislation and carry out
market surveillance activities.
In the area of
justice and home affairs,
further good progress could be noted as regards the
management of the future external borders. However, significant further efforts are needed to
strengthen the law enforcement capacity and policy formulation in order to step up the fight
against organised crime and corruption. Bulgaria needs to press ahead and dedicate adequate
resources to fundamental reforms of the police and of the judiciary, including the reform of
the pre-trial phase and the implementation of the strategies against crime. Overall, the full and
timely implementation of the main strategies and action plans in the area of justice and home
affairs, together with the entry into force of the planned amendments to the legislation on the
penal procedure, legal aid, asylum, mediation and forfeiture of criminal assets should address
the bulk of the issues covered in this chapter.
Regarding
customs,
Bulgaria has achieved a high degree of legislative alignment and has
improved its administrative capacity. Efforts should continue in the IT area as well as to
further improve revenue-collection and controls.
Further progress has been made in strengthening
financial control
in Bulgaria. More effort is
needed to ensure the protection of the EC financial interests and of the euro against
counterfeiting, as to well as to further strengthening the administrative capacity to implement
sound financial control systems.
Overall, the capacity of the law enforcement and regulatory bodies to ensure a level playing
field within the internal market through effective implementation and enforcement of the
acquis
must be enhanced. The continued reinforcement of the judicial system and
administrative structures in certain areas will require particular attention, notably as regards
public procurement, competition and justice and home affairs. Bulgaria should devote more
efforts and financial resources to make the necessary investments to apply the
acquis,
notably
in agriculture (in particular in the veterinary field), transport and environment. Continued
efforts are required to establish the necessary administrative capacity to ensure the sound and
efficient management of EU funds, notably the Structural Funds.
In the accession negotiations, all 31 chapters have been provisionally closed. The
commitments made in the negotiations are with a view to accession in 2007. Bulgaria is
generally meeting the commitments that it has made during the negotiations although delays
have been noted in specific areas.
Bearing in mind the progress achieved since the Opinion, the level of alignment and
administrative capacity that Bulgaria has achieved at this point in time and its track record in
implementing the commitments that it has made in the negotiations, and taking into account
their preparatory work in progress, the Commission expects Bulgaria to assume the
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obligations of membership in accordance with the envisaged timeframe. In the period leading
up to accession, Bulgaria needs to continue its preparations, in line with the commitments it
has made in the accession negotiations.
Romania
Since the Commission concluded in its 1997 Opinion that Romania fulfilled the political
criteria, the country has further consolidated and deepened the stability of its institutions
guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of
minorities. This trend has accelerated over the past year. Romania continues to fulfil the
political criteria.
Progress was made to address the need for administrative and judicial reforms. A public
administration reform strategy was launched in May 2004, covering the area of civil service
reform, decentralisation and deconcentration, and policy co-ordination. A positive start was
made to the reform of the civil service. The establishment of the Chancellery of the Prime
Minister should help to improve policy coordination and consistency. The use of emergency
ordinances was restricted to “extraordinary circumstances”, but this has not yet led to a
decrease of their use. The laws on the freedom of information and transparency in the
legislative process should still be fully implemented. The revision of the Constitution in
October 2003 contributed to streamlining the parliamentary process by giving both chambers
primary responsibility for different types of legislation. Efforts to improve the policy-making
and legislative process should continue. Further efforts are also needed to strengthen local and
regional governance with a view to ensuring proper implementation of the
acquis
at those
levels.
The management of court cases and the quality of judgments needs to improve. Official
surveys confirm the possibility for the executive to influence the outcome of judicial
proceedings. However, organisational and legislative changes introduced in Romania’s
judicial system should help to make it more independent and efficient. Their implementation
on the ground is a matter of priority.
Corruption in Romania continues to be serious and widespread. Romania’s anti-corruption
legislation is generally well developed, but its ability to curb corruption will depend on the
effective implementation of the law. In particular, additional efforts are required to ensure the
independence, effectiveness and accountability of the National Anti-Corruption Prosecution
Office. It should concentrate its resources on investigating high-level corruption.
Romania continues to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and has made further
progress in several areas. The introduction of national standards for child protection services
and of strict rules on inter-country adoption, which appear to be in line with the UN
Convention on the rights of the child, should further improve the protection of children’s
rights. As regards freedom of expression, the legal situation of journalists has improved but
the economic situation of many mass media organisations remains precarious and further
efforts are necessary to guarantee media independence. Although the restitution of
agricultural land is almost completed, a more speedy and transparent approach is needed to
further the restitution of buildings and religious property. Efforts to address the problems of
ill-treatment in custody, trafficking in human beings and prison overcrowding should be
sustained.
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The Roma Strategy, which is explicitly aimed at addressing discrimination, is being
implemented but de facto discrimination against the Roma minority remains widespread. The
support for an inclusive approach to education is a positive development. The same
encouraging trend has been noted in health care and employment.
The 1997 Opinion already acknowledged the substantial reform efforts undertaken by the
Romanian authorities to transform their economy. Since the Opinion economic structure and
performance have significantly improved. Macroeconomic stability has been achieved,
profound economic reforms have been carried out while the Romanian authorities’
commitment to the economic requirements of EU accession has been sustained.
Hence, it is concluded that Romania complies with the criterion of being a functioning market
economy. Vigorous implementation of its structural reform programme should enable
Romania to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union.
Improvements can be made in sustaining macroeconomic stability and in deepening structural
reforms. Priority should be given to preserve the momentum in disinflation and safeguard the
sustainability of the external position by maintaining a prudent policy mix and by further
reducing the deficit of the broader public sector. To achieve this, significant improvements in
enforcing financial discipline, continuous adjustments of energy prices towards cost recovery
levels and improved financial performance of public enterprises are vital. Fiscal sustainability
needs to be strengthened by advancing expenditure reform and further improving tax
compliance. The privatisation process should be accomplished, post-privatisation disputes be
settled and non-viable enterprises more actively dismantled. In key sectors, such as energy,
mining and transport, perseverance in restructuring and a more manifest strive for
privatisation should go hand in hand. Substantial progress in the functioning of the judiciary
and the public administration, including an even and predictable application of law, is
required to create an enabling business environment with a level playing field.
Since the opinion, Romania has made good progress in adopting the
acquis
and more
recently, has also made progress in gradually building up the administrative capacity to
implement and effectively enforce the
acquis.
Over the past year, Romania has made further progress in the vast majority of the chapters of
the
acquis
and is on track to complete the required legislative transposition before the planned
date of accession if the current pace of progress is maintained.
Overall, alignment with the
acquis
has reached a fair level in the large majority of areas. The
administrative capacity has been strengthened in the majority of areas but there is still room
for improvement since not all the necessary institutions are yet in place. In order to cover the
remaining gaps, due attention should be given to the full and timely implementation of the
strategies and action plans for the reinforcement of administrative capacity already approved
in these areas.
In the area of
internal market,
Romania has continued to make progress with the transposition
of legislation in the field of the
free movement of goods.
However, transposition of the public
procurement legislation must be completed. In addition, practices which put Romania’s
commitment to open and transparent procurement procedures into question should be
discontinued. Legislation has been further aligned in the area of
free movement of persons,
in
particular as regards mutual recognition of professional qualifications and free movement of
workers. Alignment needs to be completed as regards citizens’ rights and administrative and
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training capacities should be enhanced in general. In particular in the field of financial
services, Romania achieved substantial progress in
freedom to provide services.
Romania
should continue to pay attention to the removal of identified barriers against the right of
establishment and the freedom to provide services and to the development of the insurance
and financial securities markets. While alignment with the
acquis
on
free movement of capital
has further improved, outstanding restrictions to capital movements and payments should be
removed and the enforcement record of the National Office for the Prevention and Control of
Money Laundering needs to be improved.
Romania has continued to make progress in transposing the
company law acquis
as such and
the
acquis
concerning the protection of intellectual and industrial property rights. However,
the level of enforcement of such rights has not kept pace with this. Romania’s legislative
alignment on accounting and auditing should be completed. While the Romanian
competition
legislation is broadly in line with EC anti-trust rules, current proposals needed to complete
alignment of the state aid legislation are being prepared. The enforcement record of the
Romanian competition authority still needs to be considerably improved in state aid matters.
Recent efforts in this respect need to be stepped up. Romania needs to ensure that
restructuring aid given to steel companies is in line with the Europe Agreement.
Romania made significant progress to further transpose the
agricultural,
veterinary and
phytosanitary
acquis
and has strengthened its administrative capacity. However, overall
administrative and enforcement capacities should be further enhanced. Particular attention
should be paid to reinforcing the SAPARD Agency and to establishing the necessary elements
of a functioning IACS. Upgrading plans for non-complaint establishments in the veterinary
sector should be introduced with no delay. Steady progress has taken place in the
fisheries
sector in terms of alignment and administrative capacity. However, sustained efforts are
needed to recruit sufficient staff in the Fisheries Inspectorate and provide it with adequate
inspection tools. The fishing database should be established.
Romania has continued to make progress with the transposition of the
transport acquis
and
building up the administrative structures in the areas of road, rail and aviation transport.
Alignment is fairly advanced in the maritime sector. The technical state of the inland
waterway fleet should be improved.
Romania has made some progress in aligning with the
acquis
on
taxation
and particular
attention should now be paid to completing alignment and strengthening administrative
capacity. Transposition of the
acquis
on
social policy and employment
has continued. Future
efforts should focus on completing legislative alignment in the area of labour law and on
strengthening the Labour Inspectorate to ensure proper implementation in the area of health
and safety at work. Due attention should be paid to the promotion of social dialogue and to
the improvement of the health status of the population, which is well below the EU average.
Administrative capacity with regards to ESF management should be strengthened as a matter
of priority. Legislative progress in the
energy
sector should be matched by full
implementation and increased administrative capacity, in particular with regard to the internal
energy market structures. The restructuring of energy markets process needs to be completed.
Romania has performed steady progress as far as
industrial policy
is concerned, but the key
challenge is its implementation as structural weaknesses limit the capacity for enforcement.
Transparency of the privatisation process should be fully ensured. Progress has continued in
the area of
telecommunications
with liberalising the telecommunications market and
completing the transposition of the
acquis.
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As regards
regional policy and co-ordination of structural instruments,
progress has been
made in preparing for the implementation of structural policies with the designation of the
Managing and Paying Authorities and establishing their tasks and adoption of the 2004-2006
National Development Plan. Efforts need to be continued to bring the administrative capacity
up to the level required in order for Romania to reap full benefits of the structural instruments.
Environment
is an area where Romania has achieved a good level of alignment with the
acquis
in most of the sectors, whereas implementation is, in general, still lagging behind.
Further transposition should concentrate on completing the alignment in the areas of
horizontal legislation, air quality, waste management, water quality, nature protection and a
number of other sectors. Implementation of the transposed
acquis
remains a key challenge
and, therefore, requires enhanced efforts. It is of utmost importance that the environmental
administration at all levels obtains sufficient resources in order to cope with the increasing
recruitment, training and equipment needs. Strategic planning, adequate investment and
financing plans also have to remain in the focus of the public services in the field of
environment.
Legislative alignment on
consumer and health protection
is well on track and Romania has
made good progress as regards improvement of administrative capacity and the general co-
ordination of market surveillance activities. These efforts should be maintained and consumer
movement should be strengthened.
Legislative progress has been made in many areas of
justice and home affairs
and especially
so in migration, asylum and judicial co-operation in civil and criminal matters. However,
implementation capacity should be significantly strengthened in almost all areas, as should
inter-agency co-operation. Many agencies and institutions involved in law enforcement are
still affected by staff shortages, which will also require enhanced training capacity. The
independence of the judiciary must be ensured on the ground. As regards the fight against
corruption, implementation capacity should also be significantly strengthened and the existing
legislation should be rigorously enforced. Romania should implement its current plans to fully
address the above issues of concern and in particular increase its administrative capacity in
the relevant institutions, implement an effective reform of the judicial system, recruits and
train the necessary staff and take measures that have a significant impact on corruption.
Limited progress has been made in the area of
customs
and legislative alignment should be
completed. Internal co-ordination improved. Furthermore, any customs duties and charges
having equivalent effect with regard to export and import to and from the Community will
have to be abolished. Romania has pursued its efforts in the
financial control
area. However,
the legislative framework should be completed in the area of external audit and protection of
the Communities’ financial interests. Administrative capacity should be strengthened to
implement sound financial system.
In a number of important sectors, the overall
capacity of the public administration
to
implement and enforce the newly adopted legislation should be enhanced. Romania has
started to address this issue through the comprehensive reform of its public administration.
These concerns extend beyond the adoption of the
acquis
and also apply to the management
of EU financial assistance. Furthermore, there are a number of areas where further efforts will
be needed to complete the work, in particular as regards company law, competition policy,
environment and justice and home affairs, customs and financial control.
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In the accession negotiations, 27 chapters have been provisionally closed. Romania is
generally meeting the commitments that it has made during the negotiations, although delays
have been noted in specific areas.
Bearing in mind the progress achieved since the Opinion, the level of alignment and
administrative capacity that Romania has achieved at this point in time and its track record in
implementing the commitments that it has made in the negotiations, and taking into account
their preparatory work in progress, the Commission expects Romania to assume the
obligations of membership in accordance with the envisaged timeframe. In the period leading
up to accession, Romania needs to continue its preparations, in line with the commitments it
has made in the accession negotiations.
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