Bulgaria's application for membership of the European Union A5-0258/2001
Cyrus Salimi-Asl, Eric Wrasse und Gereon Schuch
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))
The European Parliament, - having regard to Bulgaria's application for membership of the European Union, submitted on 15 December 1995, pursuant to Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union,
* having regard to the Commission's 2000 Regular Report on Bulgaria's progress
towards accession (COM(2000) 701 - C5-0601/2000),
* having regard to the Enlargement Strategy Paper on progress towards accession
by each of the candidate countries presented by the Commission (COM(2000) 700),
* having regard to the decisions taken by the European Council, notably in Copenhagen
on 21 and 22 June 1993, in Luxembourg on 12 and 13 December 1997, in Helsinki
on 10 and 11 December 1999, in Nice on 7-9 December 2000 and in Gothenburg on
15 and 16 June 2001,
* having regard to the 1999 Accession Partnership for Bulgaria, revised in February
2000,
* having regard to the accession negotiations with Bulgaria, which opened on
15 February 2000,
* having regard to its resolution of 4 October 2000 on Bulgaria's application
for membership of the European Union and the state of negotiations (COM(1999)
501 - C5-0024/2000 - 1997/2179(COS)) ,
* having regard to the Declaration and recommendations issued at the end of
the 12th EU-Bulgaria Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting in Brussels on 26
and 27 March 2001,
* having regard to Article 47(1) of its Rules of Procedure,
* 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's Strategy Paper, its 'road-map' 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 Copenhagen European Council,
D. whereas Bulgaria has made efforts to meet its obligations under the Europe Agreement and has implemented 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 compliance 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,
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 development 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'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 problem,
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 progress 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 negotiations on 15 February 2000 on Bulgaria's accession to the European Union, and confirms its strong support for Bulgaria'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'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's view that, while essentially fulfilling the Copenhagen political criteria, Bulgaria needs to upgrade its administrative capacity in order to take on the obligations of EU membership, 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;
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;
9. Calls upon the Bulgarian government to eliminate provisions in the penal code that discriminate 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
10. Underlines the need for further steps to fully integrate Bulgarian citizens of Turkish origin, in particular the need to target social problems such as poverty and high unemployment in affected regions;
Economic criteria
11. Is pleased to note Bulgaria's good macroeconomic performance and that, according to preliminary data, Bulgaria's GDP growth for 2000 was 5.8%;
12. Notes nevertheless the high level of popular disillusionment, as demonstrated in the elections of 17 June, in the ability of government and the administration to translate macroeconomic and financial 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 EUR 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 control;
14. Calls on the competent institutions of the European Union to ensure that where construction projects 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 construction 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 conditions 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 environment; 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;
17. Invites the new Bulgarian government to focus its efforts on creating an environment of zero tolerance regarding corruption and to minimise the potential for corruption when drawing up new legislation;
18. Points out that, while approximately 80% of state assets have been privatised and are no longer a 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 environment through better access to financing;
20. Urges the Bulgarian government to make rapid progress, as a priority, in privatising the energy sector, taking note of criticisms of lack of transparency in previous privatisations;
Acquis criteria
21. Stresses the need for enabling legislation, backed by necessary administrative structures and 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'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's animal welfare record;
25. Reminds Bulgaria of the need to implement the Memorandum of understanding signed in November 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's role in accordance with international standards;
30. Expresses satisfaction at Bulgaria'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;
31. Notes that progress has been made towards meeting the short-term Accession Partnership priority of implementing effective border control systems; stresses that further human resources and investment in modern equipment continue to be needed;
32. Stresses the need for establishing a national information system compliant with the standards of the 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;
33. Believes it to be of central importance that the implementation of the new proposals in the Commission'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;
34. Calls on Bulgaria to put in place the mechanisms necessary to link up effectively to the Community'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;
35. Points out that further and faster progress in opening new chapters and closing existing chapters 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 Bulgarian authorities to provide further information relating to the murder of Georgi Markov in London on 11 September 1978;
37. Asks the Bulgarian Government to rapidly introduce enabling legislation for the Child Protection 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;
39. Encourages the participation of Bulgaria in the Community's new health action programme 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 "catching-up" 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;
41. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the parliaments of the Member States and the Government and Parliament of Bulgaria.
Quelle: http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/docs/ ep_resolutions/bulgaria.htm
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