“In approximately six months’ time, MEPs will meet to decide whether Romania and Bulgaria have done everything necessary to become full members of the European Union. If the answer is negative, the European Parliament will propose that accession be deferred to 2008. The final decision is up to the governments of the EU. There are doubts about Romania’s level of preparation”. This is the prognostic published on the website of the EP. In relation to Romania’s accession, it further draws attention to Romania’s problems in satisfying the economic and political criteria necessary to become a member of the EU. This was especially underlined “when the Parliament met in April to vote on the go-ahead to the membership of Romania and Bulgaria and a large number of MEPs considered that Romania was not yet ready”. Meanwhile, as was the case for previous enlargements, the EP has invited the parliaments of Bulgaria and Romania to send some “observer MPs”: 35 Romanian and 18 Bulgarian MPs are consequently expected to attend the next plenary assembly on 26 September.
