Liberals and Democrats salute decision for Bulgarian and Romanian accession on 1st January 2007

3.56.56pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 26th Sep 2006

The European Commission today confirmed that Bulgaria and Romania would be ready for EU membership on 1st January 2007, despite signalling four areas of concern - in the fight against corruption, controls on agricultural expenditure, food safety in the pig meat sector and aviation safety (in the case of Bulgaria) - which would be subject to continued monitoring. This recommendation will be formally voted on by the European Parliament in October and by the European Council before the end of the year.

Graham Watson, Group leader in the European Parliament for the Liberals and Democrats stated his satisfaction today at the Commission's analysis and conclusions:

"Liberals and Democrats welcome the confirmation of the January 2007 accession date but urge both new Member States to consider membership of the EU an opportunity to continue to reform and modernise."

"Size matters. The EU needs as many countries as possible which share our values to help us tackle the serious challenges of our age."

Emma Nicholson MEP (Lib Dem, UK), ALDE spokesperson on Romania recalled:

"With today's announcement, Romania has finally crossed its Rubicon and will once again become part of Europe on 1 January 2007. I am delighted that Romania has thoroughly embraced the free market and fundamental freedoms the EU cherishes and am sure she will continue down the path of reform and modernisation post-January."

"I know Romania and her vibrant, hard-working people will play a very important role in re-energising the EU, and in shaping the Union's increasingly important relations with Russia and the former Soviet states to our East."

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff MEP (FDP, Germany), ALDE spokesperson on Bulgaria added:

"I welcome the Commission's assessment on Bulgaria. The country deserves respect for the efforts it has made in recent months to reach EU-standards. However respect for the progress Bulgaria has made needs to go hand in hand with honest evaluation of where improvements are still needed. Bulgaria has reached the home stretch but has not yet achieved all its goals. Reforms in the area of justice have to become permanent and the fight against corruption needs to be continued vigorously for the country to play in the first league."