Go to (on this page): content, search field of menu.

U bevindt zich op: Home › News › Press releases and news items

Progress in Romania and Bulgaria inadequate

News item | 28-08-2009

Romania and Bulgaria are still doing too little to tackle corruption and organised crime, and their management of EU funds is still below par. The government will continue to press for improvements in both countries at European level.

If this does not happen, it will have consequences for the transfer of EU funds to the two countries and their accession to the Schengen area.The government announced these conclusions in its response to the progress report that the European Commission presented for the two countries.

Accession to the Schengen area would mean the disappearance of controls at the countries' internal borders. The government believes that this should not happen until sufficient trust exists among the Schengen partners. Romania and Bulgaria still suffer from large-scale corruption, including in the police force.

The government believes it is essential for both countries to make genuine progress to avoid damaging the EU's credibility. It also feels that they are not doing enough to enable their inhabitants to benefit fully from the opportunities offered by EU membership.

More information