Bulgaria and Romania - on their way to EU accession?

On 16 May 2006 Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn will present the monitoring reports on Bulgaria’s and Romania’s preparations for accession to the European Union. In his preliminary assessment of 3 April 2006 - where Romania received better “marks” than Bulgaria - he pointed out that, even though the 2007 target date is still “doable”, the judiciary reform and fight against corruption and crime are considered as the critical yardsticks and that the rule of law which underpins the functioning of the whole society and economy, is of fundamental importance for EU accession. Are Bulgaria and Romania prepared to join the European Union? Is the European Union ready to integrate Bulgaria and Romania? What will be the signal of the Commission’s decision to the population in both candidate countries, to the people in the Member States where criticism against enlargement is rising and to new candidate countries? Guests: Kristian Hedberg, Member of Cabinet of Commissioner Olli Rehn, European Commission Joost Lagendijk, Member of European Parliament, shadow rapporteur for the Greens on the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, H.E. Ambassador Lazar Comanescu, Head of the Romanian Mission to the EU, H.E. Ambassador Stanislav Daskalov, Head of the Bulgarian Mission to the EU Chair: Marianne Ebertowski, Co-ordinator Europe Programme, EU Regional Office Heinrich Böll Foundation