Currently, there is no reason whatsoever to talk about imposing a safeguard clause on Bulgaria or Romania in the field of agriculture, an unnamed aide of the EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel told the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) on October 8, as quoted by Dnevnik daily newspaper.

“I am not saying that a safeguard clause could be imposed on Bulgaria and Romania. I am not saying it could not be imposed, too. All options are at hand. But, to claim that there is even an idea on how this thing should be solved, is just not right,” the source said.

The possible imposition of a safeguard clause on Romania was first mentioned last week by the European Peoples Party group chairman in the European Parliament, Joseph Daul. He said that Romania was threatened by such a clause because it was not certain that the EU funds were spent on achieving the goals they were extended for.
Daul’s words echoed in Bulgaria, too, where media had been speculating on a possible safeguard clause being forced on this country because of its lack of preparedness to absorb the funds the EU extends in support of Bulgaria’s agriculture.

“I am surprised to hear that Joseph Daul said such a thing. The European parliament does not deal with imposing or not imposing safeguard clauses,” the source said.