Bulgaria would join the EU on-time but the introduction of a safeguard clause for the justice and home affairs sectors is possible, European Parliament rapporteur on Bulgaria Geoffrey Van Orden said.

Yet, the introduction of the clause is not a must for the timely accession, Van Orden said.

Today the EP representative met Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev, the Bulgarian National Radio reported. Van Orden said proper judiciary reforms take a lot of time to achieve.

Van Orden praised the selection of Velchev as a Prosecutor-General. This development occurs after a difficult reforms period, said he. Velchev presented the latest steps undertaken to facilitate the work of the prosecution.

A final decision on the safeguard clause has not been taken yet, Van Orden said. He said Bulgarians should differentiate the safeguard clauses from accession delays, as the two are not related to each other.