EC Report for Bulgaria to Be Issued on July 22

The European Commission interim report on the progress of Bulgaria in the area of justice and home affairs will be issued on July 22 and will not contain recommendations for safeguard clauses. Another report is due in the autumn in regard with EU funding management, BNR reported.

The latest report will be released the same week when the make-up of the new Bulgarian government will be put to a vote, although the European commission claims that this is just a coincidence.

Criticism in the report will not be avoided because of the government changes , the most severe criticism provoked by corruption and the insufficient actions against it, Focus Agency reported.

However, the Commission will not recommend the use of safeguard clauses, EC officials claim. This is due to the widespread view that the measures could block reforms in the judiciary, instead of speeding them up.

Yet ,the European Commission will note that the monitoring mechanism has proven its effectiveness in a number of areas and has to continue working until convincing results are achieved in all areas. No deadlines for the end of the mechanisms are expected.

Member states will discuss and vote on the reports for Bulgaria and Romania in September and October. Then we will say if there are some of them who would insist on the activation of the safeguard clauses, while there is still a legal possibility for that.

The safeguard clauses provided for in the Treaty of Accession only cover the first three years of membership (ending in December 2009).

Meanwhile,Bulgaria and Romania will be the center of attention again in October - that is when EC is going to release the reports about the management of EU funds. Those reports were requested by the EP Committee on budgetary control.