The rapporteur for Bulgaria, Mr Geoffrey Van Orden, has asked me to speak on his behalf since he has to attend the defence debate at the Conservative Party Conference in Bournemouth, England, today. Bulgaria has made great progress in her preparations for accession. The current resolution and report focus on certain of the more controversial issues, namely nuclear safety, border controls, the treatment of minorities and the question of corruption. Economic issues will be dealt with later. Bulgaria is anxious to join the European Union and NATO. It has already demonstrated its commitment to regional security and stability through practical and political action, as was evidenced during the Kosovo conflict when Bulgaria sided with NATO allies, possibly to the detriment of her own short term interest. The after-effects of the conflict, particularly the obstruction of the Danube, damaged the Bulgarian economy and it is only right that urgent assistance should be given by the international community. But Bulgaria has made a wider contribution to regional security through the mechanisms of the Stability Pact. Turning to another aspect of security, Bulgaria has also made great strides in tackling border control, with the ambitious target of bringing border policing up to Schengen standards by 2001. This has been achieved by a fundamental reorganisation of the border police, once a demotivated conscript force; it is now a professional volunteer service. Much of this has been carried out with assistance from the European Union. The security of Bulgaria's borders and the effectiveness and integrity of its policing is of vital interest to the Union, bearing in mind Bulgaria's situation on the main through-route into Western Europe from Asia Minor and the Middle East. Within its borders Bulgaria is addressing the problem of minorities. The Bulgarian Government has made efforts to overcome the problems of exclusion of the large Roma community, comprising roughly 4% of the population. Much more needs to be done. It will take time for the benefits of the fundamental changes in Bulgaria to be felt by the population as a whole. Meanwhile, in a more open society with greater opportunity, people need to be assured that those in power, whether in government or in administration, are exercising their authority for the benefit of the country as a whole. Democracy and the market economy are vibrant forces in Bulgaria, but they are still young and need to be sustained by the confidence and trust of the whole population. The suspicion of corruption is a most destructive force and it must be tackled as a matter of urgency. This is nowhere more true than in the case of nuclear power, where legitimate concerns over nuclear and environmental safety are in danger of being hijacked by the anti-nuclear power lobby. In recent weeks we have all been reminded of the perils of over-dependence on oil and the need for diversity in energy provision. The Kozloduy nuclear power plant accounts for half the internal power generation in Bulgaria. Safety considerations must of course remain paramount but other factors must also be taken into account in determining the country's most suitable long-term energy strategy. I wish to emphasise how important it is that Bulgaria should be assessed in its own right in terms of its progress towards early membership of the European Union. If Europe is to embrace this historic opportunity for enlargement, removing the divisions created by the Soviet occupation and the communist experiment, candidate countries must be given a chance to accede within a reasonable timeframe. This applies to Bulgaria. Finally, I would like to mention a dark cloud that hangs over Europe and here I speak personally. 23 years ago Bulgarian secret agents went on a murderous rampage in Western Europe, attacking certain individuals, including my friend Georgi Markov, the well known writer and broadcaster, who was murdered in broad daylight in a London street. Former Soviet agents have admitted their part in this dastardly crime but documents have been found incriminating Bulgarian citizens as well – Bulgarian agents of the communist government. No progress has been made in solving the crime. Successive presidents promised to take action but nothing was done. I will not myself be able to vote for this report unless progress is made in solving the murder of Georgi Markov.

Political group: PPE-DE