Sofia irked after 'Euroslap'

Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said postponing his country's entry to the EU would embolden those who opposed democracy and send the wrong signal to countries in the western Balkans who hope to join next decade. "It would be a grave political mistake," Stanishev said. "In the long-term, this will create more problems in the EU than if Bulgaria is accepted immediately, because we will be a good and active member." 

"Sofia gets Euroslap!" read a headline in the Bulgarian daily newspaper  Trud . 

A commentary in the Bulgarian paper  Dnevnik read: "It's clear the government has failed."

Commissioner Rehn said in his concluding remarks: "In both accession scenarios – 2007 and 2008 – the Commission will examine whether corrective action, such as safeguards, will be needed to remedy possible deficiencies that may persist after accession. As the guardian of the treaties, the Commission will not hesitate to activate these mechanisms where necessary. They can be mostly invoked, if need be, by a Commission decision." "We will in any case re-examine the situation of [Bulgaria and Romania] this autumn in our next monitoring reports to Parliament and Council. In the event of a 2007 accession for one or two countries, we would then address more precisely any possible corrective action that may be needed as of January 2007 in order to ensure sound accession." "As you can yourself conclude, the jury is still out. For both countries the 2007 target date is still doable, but it requires a completion of the reforms and their implementation. While safeguard clauses can provide remedies in certain sectors, it is the judiciary reform and fight against corruption and crime that are the critical yardsticks. The rule of law underpins the functioning of the whole society and economy; thus it is of fundamental importance for EU accession."