Bulgaria has stepped up efforts at the highest levels in the fight against corruption and organised crime, but much remains to be done.

This is one of the key conclusions in the European Commission report, released on June 27, assessing the country’s progress in carrying out steps required of it to meet European Union standards in a range of areas.

The report said that the Bulgarian Government had good intentions about judicial reform and cleansing the system of corruption and organised crime. However, there was “a clear weakness in translating these intentions into results”.

A change was required that went beyond merely meeting benchmarks. “This requires a strong long term commitment by Bulgaria and can only be successful if the strict separation of the executive, legislative and judicial power is respected, and if stable political conditions and commitment are in place.”

Bulgaria had achieved some progress in improving the transparency of the judicial process but more time was needed to be able to assess whether the new laws would have their intended impacts. “Some progress” had been achieved in enhancing accountability, professionalism and efficiency of the judiciary in Bulgaria.

Progress in the judicial treatment of high-level corruption cases in Bulgaria was still insufficient.

Significant progress had been made in preventing and fighting corruption at the border and within municipal government.

Bulgaria still had further efforts to make in aviation security and in creating a functioning farm payments system to avoid possible safeguard measures, the report said.

In spite of the sharp criticisms in the report, it did not recommend invoking safeguard measures in any area.

The EC said that it would update its report at the beginning of 2008 and prepare a detailed report on the co-operation and verification mechanism in mid-2008. The co-operation and verification mechanism was introduced by the EC before Bulgaria’s January 1 2007 EU accession and sets out benchmarks for Bulgaria to achieve in aviation safety, food safety, agricultural funds and judicial reform, the fight against corruption and organised crime. To provide input for the latter report, Bulgaria must report to the EC on further progress achieved by March 31 2008.

European Commission vice-president Franco Frattini told a news conference: “Bulgaria and Romania need our assistance and co-operation to achieve better results so that we accompany them on the way to ensuring reforms that are sustainable...there is no turning back”.

Referring to the departure from Bulgaria’s Cabinet of Economy and Energy Minister Roumen Ovcharov, Frattini said that it was an indication of good practice that a member of the Government had been forced to resign.

European Affairs Minister Gergana Grancharova said that the report was “well-balanced and objective” and said that practical implementation of reforms was of the highest importance.

Michael Humphreys, representative of the EC in Sofia, said that the progress made by Bulgaria should not be underplayed. “Major challenges remain but I am confident those challenges will be met.”

He said: “Progress is more than just on paper.” However, further proof was needed of the implementation of reforms.

Responding to a comment by Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev that the report contained some omissions and inaccurate figures, Humphreys said that the Government report on which it was based in part had been submitted at the time of the March 31 deadline.