Bulgaria was part of the ‘champions league’ after the European Commission (EC) recommended Bulgaria’s EU entry on January 1 2007, President Georgi Purvanov said.

EC’s decision was ‘an expression of historical justice’, Purvanov said. It reflected Bulgaria’s progress but also its political will, he said.

Bulgaria did not enter the union ‘through Europe’s back door,’ said Purvanov. Bulgaria was ‘on equal footing’ with other peoples for the first time in its modern history, he said.

Purvanov emphasised that Bulgaria was entering the EU not 'to consume' resources but to make the union stronger. The country had one of the most stable macroeconomical indexes in Eastern Europe, he said.

The EC praised the country for reforms and its macroeconomic stability and recommended EU entry without the introduction of safeguard clauses. Yet, the EC would implement strict monitoring and would be able to introduce safeguard clauses if necessary.