European Commission congratulates Bulgaria on achievements of EU Presidency
04 September 2018 News
In a letter to the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Bulgaria to the European Union, the Secretary-General of the European Commission (EC) shared how deeply impressed he was with Bulgaria’s accomplishments during the country’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2018.
‘The Commission is appreciative of the close and constructive relationship that we have established. We worked hand in hand and can take pride in the progress made on implementing the EU agenda,’ reads the letter bearing the signature of Martin Selmayr.
Special attention in it is dedicated to the successful EU-Western Balkans summit that took place in Sofia on May 17, 2018, reconfirming the Member States’ commitment to the European perspective of the region, as well as to the closure of a total of 46 legislative files during the Bulgarian Presidency.
In the letter, Mr. Selmayr also expresses his special gratitude for the progress that Bulgaria made, in its capacity as President, in areas like the Banking Union, the system of banking supervision and restructuring that operates in accordance with a set of rules applying to the entire EU: obtaining a negotiating mandate for a post-Cotonou agreement that will outline the general framework of relations between the EU and the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific over the next two decades; reform of the all-European refugee system that sets the rules for registration and distribution of migrants; reform of the Dublin Regulation, which underpins the European policy on refugees; as well as the early start of dialogue on the Multiannual Financial Framework, the next budget of the European Union for the period 2021 through 2017.
The letter ends with a hand-written message from Selmayr that says: ‘United we stand strong, also after the Bulgarian Presidency!’