[autom.vertaling] De Commissie stelt verhoging van fondsen voor Roemenië en Bulgarije voor (en)
In a communication due for publication Wednesday, the European Commission proposes that the pre accession funds for Romania and Bulgaria should be increased by twenty percent in 2004. The year of reference for this calculation is 2003. This could rise up to forty per cent in 2006.
The increase in funds is made possible by the re-allocation of the pre-accession assistance of the ten current candidates that are to become members in 2004.
Enlargement commissioner Günter Verheugen spoke last week about a substantial increase of funds - mostly for Romania. The country now receives more money than Bulgaria; a total of 650 million euros per year. In 2004, Romania will then receive an additional 130 million euros.
These sums were proposed by the Commission after considering the limited capacity for absorption of funds that the two countries have. Together with the funds, the Commission will also propose two separate accelerated road maps so Romania and Bulgaria could join the Union in 2007. This accession date has been unilaterally chosen by Bucharest and Sofia and has not yet received clear approval by the Union.
Economic forecast for the first ten candidates
The Commission's communication will also detail an economic forecast for the ten countries set to join the EU in 2004. This is a follow-up of the Brussels Summit, which decided the financial package for enlargement.
The future member states already expressed their disagreement to the terms of the EU. They stated that the financial package is not realistic and that after 2004 it would lead to a shortage of cash flow in the newly joined member states
Proposal to be discussed at the General Affairs Council
The proposal will be discussed by EU foreign ministers Monday, during their meeting in Brussels. The conclusion of the ministers should then be endorsed by the Copenhagen European Council, in December.