During his visit to Brussels Sofia mayor Boiko Borissov met MEP and chairman of the European People's Party-European Democracy (EPP-ED) Hans-Gert Poettering to discuss Bulgaria's EU accession progress.

The meeting lasted over 80 minutes, which was four times more than provisionally scheduled, 24 Chassa reported.

Poettering said that he was certain of Bulgaria's EU accession and of the future of Borissov's political movement Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (CEDB).

Borissov also met Els De Groen from the Green Party, one of the MEPs who protested against the destruction of an illegal Roma neighbourhood in Bulgaria's capital. The MEPs sent a letter to Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev saying that the eviction of the Roma minority was discrimination and that it would affect negatively the country's EU accession chances.

During the meeting Borissov presented the measures Sofia municipality took to solve the problem. De Groen said that she was satisfied with the solution and that Sofia municipality clearly worked following European models.

During his stay in Brussels Borissov also lobbied for EU financing of the refuse processing plant construction in Sofia. The plant would solve the serious refuse disposal problems the capital faces since its depots would soon run out of storage capacity.