Frattini prijst Bulgarije voor inzet hervormingen (en)

EU justice and home affairs commissioner Franco Frattini i has praised Bulgaria its recent reform progress ahead of the country's planned accession to the EU next year, but also told Sofia to step up the implementation of reforms.

"I am a bit more optimistic after my last visit here. I see concrete progress... Bulgaria is on the right track. Now the key word is implementation," Mr Frattini said after meeting Bulgarian prime minister Sergey Stanishev on Monday (31 July), according to AFP.

The commissioner also commended "important successes" dismantling organised crime groups, abolishing bank secrecy, improving external border protection and fighting top-level as well as petty corruption.

But he told the Bulgarians that they are not there yet.

"Bulgaria is on the right track," he said. "I am a bit more optimistic after this last visit but it is, of course, up to Bulgarian authorities to continue making all the possible efforts to meet the requirements by the end of 2006," reported AP.

In May the European Commission called, in its monitoring report on Bulgaria and neighbouring Romania's readiness to join the 25 member bloc, for "clear evidence of results in investigating and prosecuting organised crime networks" and also in "the fight against fraud and corruption."

Bulgaria and Romania are scheduled to join the EU on 1 January 2007. But the commission will produce a final report on 26 September in which it could still recommend the postponement of the two countries' EU entry by a year.

During a visit to Bulgaria's National Assembly, Mr Frattini was told that constitutional changes would guarantee the independence of the judiciary - something for which the Bulgarians have been heavily criticised in the past.

To introduce the proper amendments to its constitution, Bulgaria is carrying out consultations with the commission, according to Bulgarian daily the Sofia Echo.

Mr Frattini will be visiting Romania on Tuesday (1 Aug).