On 17 May, in a joint session including members of both the upper (Senate) and lower house (House of Representatives), the Romanian Parliament unanimously agreed to accept the conditions of the EU Accession Treaty.
The treaty, signed in Luxembourg on 25 April, was approved by all 434 members of parliament in attendance. Under the agreement, Romania is now poised to be a full EU member as from January 2007. Romania joins Bulgaria, who approved the Accession Treaty on 11 May, in ratifying the document. Neither country decided to organise a national referendum on the decision.
To enter into force, the accession treaties of both Bulgaria and Romania must also be agreed upon by all current EU member states. Subject to a unanimous verdict, both nations will join the existing EU-25 on 1 January 2007. An additional clause in the treaties means that membership could be postponed if a country fails to comply with its reform commitments.
