Only a day before the European Parliament (EP) was scheduled to vote on the signing of the accession treaties with Bulgaria and Romania, sentiments started arising in Strasbourg against the approval of the document. The sentiments are not motivated by lack of will to accept the two Balkan countries, but by internal bickering among institutions over their power within the European Union. On Tuesday afternoon, the EP budget committee was expected to propose that the treaty with Bulgaria and Romania be rejected, a move designed to hit back at the Ministerial Council for what was perceived as the council having marginalised the parliament as an institution when the financial framework for the two states was prepared.
The budget committee wants to be included in the discussion on the size of the funds to be extended to Sofia and Bucharest. On Monday, the committee near- unanimously approved a report by Barbara Duhrkop of the European Socialist Party and Reimer Boge of the European People’s Party on the financial consequences of the two countries accession and the budget allocated for them by 2013. The two rapporteurs said several times that they had nothing against Bulgaria and Romania but said that the Ministerial Council of the EU should understand that the EP should not be ignored when making decisions. (Dnevnik)