The European Commission (EC) was expecting Bulgaria and Romania to submit their action plans in the area of internal affairs and justice next week, EC spokesman Mark Gray said on October 26.

The deadline for submission had been decided on in June 2007, BTA said.

The EC sent independent experts to the two countries to advise the governments on content, methodology and internal logic of the plans. Gray said he welcomed the news that the advisers' help had been taken by the two governments.

Once the EC would receive the reports, they would be analysed and an interim report would be published in January 2008, Gray said.