On July 12 President Georgi Purvanov met EU commissioner for employment, social affairs and equal opportunities Vladimir Spidla and EU commissioner for health and consumer protection Markos Kyprianou.

At the meeting Purvanov presented the main tendencies and results from Bulgaria's preparation for the expected EU membership, Bulgarian National Radio reported.

Spidla and Kyprianou said that they highly appreciated the country's efforts to execute the reforms recommended in the latest European Commission (EC) monitoring report on Bulgaria's EU accession readiness.

Bulgaria should work hard and solve the remaining problems stated in the report by September, the commissioners said. Only the execution of the remaining reforms would guarantee adequate utilisation of EU funds.

Later Spidla met Labour and Social Policy Minister Emilia Maslarova, who presented the reforms progress in the administration, minority integration and pension policy spheres. Spidla said that Bulgaria had to work on the efficiency of the Roma integration measures at regional level.

After Bulgaria's EU accession the living standard in the country would increase significantly, Spidla said. Bulgarians would add to EU's capacity and would help EU integration, he added.

During a meeting with European Integration Minister Meglena Kouneva Kyprianou said that EC was still worried about the problems in Bulgaria's healthcare and food safety. The country had solved its problems in consumer protection, he added.