European Parliament resolution on Bulgaria's application for membership of the European Union and the state of negotiations (COM(2000) 701 - C5-0601/2000 - 1997/2179(COS))
Date: 2001-09-05
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Bulgaria, Community acquis, accession negotiations, accession to the European Union, economic policy, political integration

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national minimum wages, and calls on the Hungarian government to encourage the signing of collective
bargaining agreements by industrial sectors, alongside the existing company agreements;

17.
Highlights the consolidation of the macroeconomic situation in Hungary, which has improved over
the last year, as indicated by the growth of the economy, foreign investment, employment and productivity
and exports;

18.
Urges the Hungarian government and the Hungarian monetary authorities to focus all their efforts
on combating inflation, which is still far higher than the eurozone average, and at the same time to
streamline public finances;

19.
Takes note of the decision by the Hungarian Government and Parliament to adopt a two-year
budget, primarily in order to establish a stable and predictable budgetary framework which will facilitate
the conclusion of accession negotiations;

20.
Draws attention to the considerable disparities between regions in Hungary, and notes that cur-
rently all regions would be eligible under Objective 1; proposes that the government adopt a determined
approach to Hungary(cid:146)s existing regional disparities and promote economic and social cohesion within the
country, and intensify its efforts in the preparation for EU structural funds;

21.
Notes the adoption of a new labour code based on the principle of the flexibility and mobility of
labour with a view to adapting the rules and organisation of the labour market to the need for economic
growth and professional skills;

22. Warns the Hungarian government of the need to complete the setting-up of the administrative
structures for the implementation of the CAP, notably in the veterinary and plant health subsectors,
given that these are the basic structures of the acquis communautaire in agriculture;

23.
Remains particularly mindful of the ongoing harmonisation of the legislative framework governing
the environment, and particularly issues concerning its practical implementation and integration in other
policy areas; notes in particular the recent progress achieved in coordination at ministerial level and the
consequent increase in the powers of the Ministry of the Environment;

24.
Highlights the concern shown by the Hungarian authorities to cooperate with neighbouring coun-
tries in protecting and rehabilitating the environment; emphasises the progress achieved in monitoring air
quality, and in particular the agreement reached with the six main electricity power plants on reducing
pollution caused by emissions;

25.
Reminds the Hungarian government of the need to bring Hungarian legislation more closely into
line with European legislation in the field of transport, particularly as regards the need for effective means
to ensure that social and environmental standards in this field are met; notes that within the framework of
the common transport policy, new Community laws of great importance for restructuring in this sector
need to be adopted before Hungarian accession;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, the Parlia-

26.
ments of the Member States and the Government and Parliament of Hungary.

15. State of accession negotiations with Bulgaria

A5-0258/2001

European Parliament resolution on Bulgaria(cid:146)s application for membership of the European Union
and the state of negotiations (COM(2000) 701 (cid:129) C5-0601/2000 (cid:129) 1997/2179(COS))

The European Parliament,

(cid:129) having regard to Bulgaria(cid:146)s application for membership of

the European Union, submitted on

15 December 1995, pursuant to Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union,

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(cid:129) having regard to the Commission(cid:146)s 2000 Regular Report on Bulgaria(cid:146)s progress towards accession

(COM(2000) 701 (cid:129) C5-0601/2000),

(cid:129) having regard to the Enlargement Strategy Paper on progress towards accession by each of the candi-

date countries presented by the Commission (COM(2000) 700),

(cid:129) having regard to the decisions taken by the European Council, notably in Copenhagen on 21/22 June
1993, in Luxembourg on 12/13 December 1997, in Helsinki on 10/11 December 1999, in Nice on 7-
9 December 2000 and in Gothenburg on 15/16 June 2001,

(cid:129) having regard to the 1999 Accession Partnership for Bulgaria, revised in February 2000,

(cid:129) having regard to the accession negotiations with Bulgaria, which opened on 15 February 2000,

(cid:129) having regard to its resolution of 4 October 2000 on Bulgaria(cid:146)s application for membership of the
(COM(1999) 501 (cid:129) C5-0024/2000 (cid:129) 1997/

European Union and the state of negotiations
2179(COS)) (1),

(cid:129) having regard to the Declaration and recommendations issued at the end of the 12th EU-Bulgaria Joint

Parliamentary Committee meeting in Brussels on 26/27 March 2001,

(cid:129) having regard to Article 47(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

(cid:129) having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security

and Defence Policy and the opinions of the other committees concerned (A5-0258/2001),

A. whereas the abovementioned Commission(cid:146)s Strategy Paper,

its (cid:145)road-map(cid:146) for the next year or so,
confirms that those countries which are the best prepared for accession will continue to be able to
progress more quickly, as stated in the Nice European Council conclusions,

B. whereas all major political forces in Bulgaria are in favour of membership of the European Union and

of NATO,

C. whereas the previous Bulgarian government was the first post-communist administration to complete
its full four-year mandate; whereas Bulgaria continues to fulfil the political criteria set by the Copen-
hagen European Council,

D. whereas Bulgaria has made efforts to meet its obligations under the Europe Agreement and has imple-

mented the main requirements without major problems,

E. whereas Bulgaria adopted a revised National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA) on

27 April 2000, setting out how it envisages dealing with the Accession Partnership,

F. whereas there continues to be serious weakness in the public administration as a whole,

G. whereas reform of the judiciary, which remains weak, is recognised as a priority; whereas, however,

further efforts and resources are needed,

H. whereas all provisions that criminalise homosexual relations must be eliminated so as to reach com-

pliance with legal European standards,

I. whereas corruption continues to be a problem in Bulgaria, and whereas the perception, as well as the
reality, of corrupt practices undermines confidence in public administration and the political process,

J. whereas the government set up the National Council on Ethnic and Demographic Issues (NCEDI) in
1999 to deal specifically with minorities, as well as a framework programme for the integration of the
Roma into Bulgarian society,

K. whereas the Bulgarian economy has suffered severely from the repercussions of regional crises,

(1) OJ C 178, 22.6.2001, p. 149.

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L. whereas Bulgaria has made further progress towards becoming a functioning market economy and has
achieved a good level of macroeconomic stability; whereas however, Bulgaria must demonstrate
further that it will be able to cope with competitive pressure and EU forces in the medium term and
that further reforms will be introduced as a priority, such as the improvement of social services and
social protection, the fight against poverty and the drawing-up of a national employment plan,

M. whereas 98 % of agricultural land restitution had taken place by April 2000, but unclear ownership
rights, insufficient land tenancy and land-use regulations are still having a negative impact on devel-
opment potential in rural areas; whereas in fact there is still no functioning land market and banks still
do not accept land as collateral,

N. whereas the planned restructuring of Bulgaria(cid:146)s energy sector has been delayed,

O. whereas Bulgaria has made some progress in transposing the EU environment acquis, but continues to
face severe environmental challenges, and implementation of the relevant provisions remains a prob-
lem,

P. whereas Bulgaria has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Commission to progressively

shut down certain units at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant,

Q. whereas, since January 2000, Bulgaria,

in common with the other applicant countries of central
Europe, has been eligible for financial assistance through the pre-accession instruments of PHARE,
ISPA and Sapard,

R. whereas 10 chapters have been provisionally closed, and whereas it is hoped further significant pro-
gress will be made in the course of the Swedish and Belgian presidencies; whereas the Bulgarians have
stated their ambition to open all remaining chapters during the Spanish presidency at the latest,

General

1.
Reiterates its endorsement of the decision taken by the Helsinki European Council to open negoti-
ations on 15 February 2000 on Bulgaria(cid:146)s accession to the European Union, and confirms its strong sup-
port for Bulgaria(cid:146)s application;

2. Welcomes the widespread enthusiasm and support of the Bulgarian people, government and political
parties for EU membership;

3.
Continues to hold the view that Bulgaria is an important factor in regional stability and recognises its
positive contribution during the Kosovo crisis, its mature approach to the troubles in FYROM, and it(cid:146)s
continuing efforts in furthering cooperation in south-eastern Europe; notes, in this context, the ongoing
military reforms and the strong support in Bulgaria for future membership of NATO;

4.
Notes that Bulgaria has been a major supporter of EU policy in the region and an active participant
in the Stability Pact for south-eastern Europe; notes also that Bulgaria, along with other countries in the
region, has expressed concerns about the efficiency and functioning of the Stability Pact and considers that
it is due for review and reform;

Political criteria

5.
Recognises that the Bulgarian political system has shown itself to be remarkably stable in recent years
and trusts that the new government will retain its cohesiveness and commitment to deliver the necessary
reforms with appropriate speed and efficiency;

6.
Concurs with the Commission(cid:146)s view that, while essentially fulfilling the Copenhagen political crite-
ria, Bulgaria needs to upgrade its administrative capacity in order to take on the obligations of EU mem-
bership, and to create a strong, independent, effective and professional judiciary, able to guarantee full
respect for application of the law and to implement EU legislation, with clear criteria for the selection
and promotion of judges;

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7.
Recognises that the Bulgarian government has been taking resolute measures to tackle the problem
of corruption, but repeats its call for a coherent strategy to reinforce these efforts; stresses that law
enforcement bodies must implement, and be seen to implement, these measures; stresses also that the
legislative framework itself needs to be strengthened, particularly in the areas of financial control and
transparency in public life;

8. Welcomes the fact that Bulgaria has ratified most human rights conventions and now urges Bulgaria
to step up efforts to ensure commitments are fully implemented; recognises the serious problems which
the government faces in integrating the Roma into society; regrets that the administrative capacity of the
NCEDI to implement the framework programme for the integration of Roma into Bulgarian society
remains low and the financial means allocated inadequate to the task;

Calls upon the Bulgarian government to eliminate provisions in the penal code that discriminate
9.
against homosexual men and lesbian women, notably Article 157, a provision that has been declared
contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights by the European Commission of Human Rights;
stresses that retention of this Article in the penal code would mean a failure to comply with the political
Copenhagen criteria;

Underlines the need for further steps to fully integrate Bulgarian citizens of Turkish origin,

10.
in
particular the need to target social problems such as poverty and high unemployment in affected regions;

Economic criteria

Is pleased to note Bulgaria(cid:146)s good macroeconomic performance and that, according to preliminary

11.
data, Bulgaria(cid:146)s GDP growth for 2000 was 5,8 %;

Notes nevertheless the high level of popular disillusionment, as demonstrated in the elections of
12.
17 June 2001, in the ability of government and the administration to translate macroeconomic and finan-
cial stability into higher standards of living, improvement of social services and social protection, and
lower unemployment; considers that, to this end,
it is necessary to significantly reinforce government
measures to promote equality, to combat unemployment, to establish higher levels of social benefits and
cover, and to tackle the problems of poverty and marginalisation; stresses, in this context, the need to
strengthen the role of social dialogue in economic and social policy-making;

13.
Notes that Bulgaria is the third largest recipient of EU funding, with some € 728 million allocated
under the PHARE and, later, ISPA and Sapard programmes, but that the effectiveness of this investment
should be increased; calls on the Commission and the Bulgarian authorities to identify weaknesses in the
targeting and implementation of EU programmes and to put forward appropriate solutions, starting with
the effective participation of all interested stakeholders, i.e.
local and regional government authorities,
social partners and NGOs, in the preparation, implementation and evaluation of programmes and projects;
underlines the importance of improving management capacity of Community funds, including audit con-
trol;

14.
Calls on the competent institutions of the European Union to ensure that where construction pro-
jects are undertaken a thorough and independent environmental impact assessment is carried out before
any money is allocated or delivered from the funds and that the results of such assessments are acted
upon; calls specifically on the European Union and the Bulgarian authorities to ensure that any construc-
tion undertaken in the Kresna Gorge in relation to the planned motorway is carried out under the strictest
environmental conditions;

15.
Stresses that, for Bulgaria to become a competitive market economy, it needs to set the right con-
ditions to boost a sustainable economy and attract direct foreign investment for self-sustaining rapid
growth and to pursue further structural reforms while introducing fresh employment initiatives;

16.
Stresses the link between a properly functioning judicial system and a favourable business environ-
ment; points out that the latter can only flourish in a climate of stability and transparency, where there is
clear regulation; urges the Bulgarian government therefore to work to remove the shortcomings of the
financial markets and bureaucratic barriers to foreign and local enterprise creation;

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17.
Invites the new Bulgarian government to focus its efforts on creating an environment of zero toler-
ance regarding corruption and to minimise the potential for corruption when drawing up new legislation;

Points out that, while approximately 80 % of state assets have been privatised and are no longer a
18.
burden on state resources, closer attention should be paid to the quality of future privatisation deals,
bearing in mind the lack of transparency and the disappointing level of budget revenues in some previous
cases;

19.
Underlines the importance of encouraging the development of small and medium-sized enterprises
in order to absorb the large number of workers made redundant by the restructuring of large enterprises
and the agricultural sector; calls on the Bulgarian government to focus on improving the business environ-
ment through better access to financing;

Urges the Bulgarian government to make rapid progress, as a priority, in privatising the energy

20.
sector, taking note of criticisms of lack of transparency in previous privatisations;

(cid:145)Acquis(cid:146) criteria

Stresses the need for enabling legislation, backed by necessary administrative structures and

21.
resources in order to implement the reforms needed to conform with Community legislation;

22.
Notes that negotiations on the environment chapter with Bulgaria are only just beginning; calls for
any transition periods to be kept to a minimum, and for the establishment of intermediate targets; calls
furthermore for careful monitoring of progress;

23.
Notes that Bulgaria(cid:146)s negotiating position on the environment chapter has been officially presented
to the European Commission, but notes that while Bulgaria has made some progress in transposing the
environmental acquis, some difficulties remain in the implementation; urges Bulgaria, therefore, to increase
investments and adopt better structures for implementation and monitoring; calls on the Commission and
the Member States to provide further appropriate technical assistance;

24.
Emphasises that EU animal welfare legislation must be properly supported by adequate controls at
national and Community level if enlargement to include Bulgaria is not to result in a deterioration in the
EU(cid:146)s animal welfare record;

Reminds Bulgaria of the need to implement the Memorandum of understanding signed in Nov-
25.
ember 1999 on the early closure of units 1-4 of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant; seeks also early
publication of an affordable, forward-looking, and environmentally sensitive energy strategy, which will
meet the needs of the Bulgarian economy;

26.
Considers it regrettable, following the clear policy laid down by DG Environment that candidate
countries should not ask for transition periods for the transposition, implementation and enforcement of
nature protection legislation, that some candidate countries including Bulgaria, are still trying to negotiate
transition periods in this area; urges the Commission to stand firm in the negotiations;

27.
Stresses the need for improvement and enforcement capacity with regard to land use regulations so
as to stop uncontrolled wood harvesting, and to ensure an appropriate use of local resources in the
context of integrated rural development measures;

28.
Recognises that Bulgaria is ahead of most other candidate countries in setting up a payment agency
for the Sapard programme, which should be strengthened by an effective anti-fraud system; in the context
of pre-accession aid; highlights also the need for Bulgaria to strengthen the administrative and absorption
capacity for PHARE projects;

29.
Notes the progress made by Bulgaria in the area of internal financial control; calls, however, for the
internal public control agency (PIFCA) to continue to develop the internal auditor(cid:146)s role in accordance with
international standards;

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30.
Expresses satisfaction at Bulgaria(cid:146)s removal from the list of non-member countries whose nationals
must be in possession of visas when entering the EU, a development which Parliament has long supported;

Notes that progress has been made towards meeting the short-term Accession Partnership priority
31.
of implementing effective border control systems; stresses that further human resources and investment in
modern equipment continue to be needed;

Stresses the need for establishing a national information system compliant with the standards of the
32.
Schengen Information System (SIS) as part of the fight against organised crime, and for specialised training
programmes and upgrading of equipment to help the authorities deal with economic crime and money
laundering as well as trafficking in humans, goods and drugs, and corruption;

Believes it to be of central importance that the implementation of the new proposals in the Com-
33.
mission(cid:146)s White Paper on food safety is carefully monitored by Bulgaria, and that full account of this be
taken before the negotiations are finally completed;

Calls on Bulgaria to put in place the mechanisms necessary to link up effectively to the Commun-
34.
ity(cid:146)s Rapid Alert System, both in terms of alerting the European Food Safety Authority of any serious
perceived or identified risk and in terms of action to be taken by the RAS as a result of an EFSA warning;

Points out that further and faster progress in opening new chapters and closing existing chapters
35.
will be possible if Bulgaria is able to provide the requisite detailed information; draws attention in this
context to the revised NPAA, which, while covering political and economic criteria more clearly and more
extensively than previously, still fails to provide information of adequate quality and quantity;

Other points

36. Welcomes the action taken by the Bulgarian authorities to make publicly available information
relating to repressive actions by the state authorities under the communist regime, and calls on the Bul-
garian authorities to provide further information relating to the murder of Georgi Markov in London on
11 September 1978;

Asks the Bulgarian Government to rapidly introduce enabling legislation for the Child Protection

37.
Act and to provide information on the situation of children in Bulgarian orphanages;

38.
Calls on Bulgaria to intensify greater cooperation in the field of education and training policy with
the other candidate countries. (The greatest possible exchange of students is undoubtedly one of the best
ways of increasing understanding of European integration.); stresses the special cultural value of student
exchanges;

Encourages the participation of Bulgaria in the Community(cid:146)s new health action programme

39.
launched in 2000;

Conclusions

40.
Is optimistic that Bulgaria is moving in the right direction in its preparation for accession, and
trusts that it will be able to make full use of the (cid:145)catching-up(cid:146) principle, and, after the uncertainties
involved in the run-up to the general election, expects the government to take the necessary robust
measures to accelerate progress in all spheres;

*

*

*

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the parliaments of

41.
the Member States and the Government and Parliament of Bulgaria.