Mr President, over the past decade we have seen a massive transformation of Bulgaria, hauling itself out of a Communist past and now on track for accession to the European Union by 2007. The turnaround is truly remarkable. My report is therefore very optimistic. I see no reason why accession negotiations should not be closed during the summer before the conclusion of the Irish presidency and before the mandate of the present Commission ends. This would be a very important signal to the people of Bulgaria and a reminder that they are not forgotten at a time when ten other countries will have just acceded to the European Union. This means that the Commission and Council must rapidly finalise the EU position on the four remaining chapters: competition, regional policy, agriculture and budget. The draft financial package proposed by the Commission on 10 February – some EUR 4.2 billion over three years – provides an excellent basis for the final phase of negotiations. Indeed, measured as a percentage of per capita GDP, this package can be seen as among the most generous that has been offered to an accession country, although this needs to be kept in perspective as Bulgarian per capita GDP is low. The financial package may require adaptation in the light of changes to the overall financial perspective and I am reassured by the Commission's recognition that cooperation with Parliament, as one arm of the Union's budgetary authority, will therefore need to be intensified over the next three years. Bulgaria's accession process has so far been characterised by commitment and good faith on all sides and a shared determination to meet the many deadlines involved. The macro-economic indicators have been very positive in Bulgaria. We have seen GDP growing by almost 5%, the rate of inflation dropping significantly, a surge in foreign investment and a major cut in unemployment levels. It will take time for the effects of these improvements to be felt by large sections of the population, particularly in the regions outside of Sofia, but we can expect the upswing to gather pace as accession approaches and confidence in Bulgaria's political and economic transformation grows. Confidence is a key factor. It is most important, therefore, that Bulgaria's progress and accession should not in any way be linked to or held back by any other candidate country. As my report clearly states, Bulgaria is part of the current inclusive and irreversible enlargement process that is based on the own merits principle. I was pleased to hear Mr Verheugen state in Parliament last November, and I quote: 'The one country, Bulgaria, should not wait for the other, Romania. And we have also guaranteed this'. I would be grateful for the Commissioner's confirmation of this position. The accession process for other candidate countries, or indeed the addition of new countries to the accession process, should not impact on the timetable for Bulgaria and the assessment of its progress. But in spite of this progress, many specific problems still have to be overcome in Bulgaria. These are very much in the hands of the Bulgarian authorities, although we can help. To put this in context, we know that many of the countries acceding to the EU in May also still have many problems to overcome. But in Bulgaria's case, I have highlighted in particular the Roma question. I do not want to get this out of perspective. Many other sections of Bulgarian society face difficulties, but the Roma question is important, not just for the stability and prosperity of Bulgaria, but also because of its potential impact on other countries in the European Union, not least my own, when Bulgaria achieves full membership. The full and proper integration of the Roma into mainstream society in Bulgaria requires changes on both sides. The Roma need understanding and massive resources deployed in order to provide them with the essentials of life, education and job opportunities, but equally they have to change their lifestyle. There has to be a willingness to integrate and to adopt family practices and other social attitudes that give confidence to the wider Bulgarian population. It is troubling that a large proportion of children in care or in institutions in Bulgaria come from the Roma community. There is something fundamentally wrong with this and it needs to be addressed with real determination. Many of the care homes and schools are in a bad state and my own constituents in Chelmsford provide admirable support for one particular school at Berkovitsa. As far as amendments to my report are concerned, I do not support either of the two amendments that have been tabled. The assertion that Bulgaria is the only accession country that lacks implementation mechanisms in the field of gender equality is frankly not correct. The second amendment, regarding energy policy, has been adequately covered in the compromise language already in the text of my report. I do not think the amendments are necessary. In conclusion, I congratulate Bulgaria and thank the Commission and the Council for all the support they have given to Bulgaria's accession process. Let us make sure that it remains on track for accession in 2007. (Applause)

Political group: PPE-DE