Bulgaria would enter EU on January 1 2007 with nearly half of its population living with less than two euro a day, Italian avvenire.it said.

Despite the economic growth of six per cent Bulgaria registered, it is one of the poorest countries in Europe, the report said.

The average salaries in Bulgaria raised by 40 per cent in the past five years but 170 euro were insufficient, avvenire.it said.

Bulgaria’s EU accession will bring new investment and more stability to the foreign investors in the country, the report said.

Still, as judicial reforms and fight against corruption were slow, Bulgaria will subjected to monitoring. A progress report would be demanded every six months.

If the country failed to carry out the reforms needed, EU could immediately introduce safeguard clauses. The EU accession conditions made Bulgarians fearful of EU entry through ‘the back door’ and of second class treatment, avvenire.it said.

The decision of most EU countries to close their labour markets for Bulgarian and Romanian workers decreased Bulgarians’ enthusiasm about EU membership, the report said.