Bulgaria and Romania To Join European Union In January
Mort Karman - All Headline News Staff Reporter London,England (AHN) - Romania and Bulgaria are going to be the newest members of the European Union. They will be inducted in January 2007. The European Commission gave the welcome news to Bucharest and Sofia Tuesday. The EU has set very strict standards for the newly admitted nations, stricter then for previous admits. Both countries must show they are making progress in curbing organized crime, controlling animal disease and food handling procedures and being transparent in the administration of EU farm aid. Observers say these conditions are intended both as a reassurance for EU citizens, about half of whom do not support further enlargement of the group of nations, and as a cautionary warning to Turkey and the Balkan countries which want to join. They have been told they must meet conditions which align their countries with the general procedures and conditions prevalent in the rest of the EU. There are no indications as to when Turkey and the Balkan nations may be considered for membership. EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has said the EU can not go on with further expansion until it decides what to do about its stalled constitution. Bulgaria and Romania have been in talks with the EU regarding membership for about seven years. The two countries were left out of the EU eastward expansion in 2004 when the commission said they were not yet ready for membership an |
