Statement by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on the occasion of the overall report by the European Commission on Bulgaria’s progress under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism
18 July 2012 News
We accept the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) report. The report is the result of good cooperation between Bulgaria’s institutions and the Euroepean Commission. The Government has the political will to implement the recommendations in the report, to meet Bulgarian society’s expectations for more justice and security.
Five years after Bulgaria’s European Union accession, the European Commission (EC) has issued a comprehensive report on this country’s progress under the CVM. The report expresses appreciation for the efforts and achievements of all the governments of Bulgaria since 2007, as well as all branches of government, executive, judicial and legislative. We recognise that the CVM has played an essential role in reforms in the areas of justice and home affairs in the country.
We accept as positive the assessment by the European Commission that Bulgaria is on track to meet the criteria under the CVM. This should encourage all authorities in Bulgaria and is a signal that reforms must continue.
The EC report recognises that the main legislative instruments are already in place. This means that Bulgaria already has completed one of the most important stages of reform of justice and home affairs. By the next report, this newly-adopted legislation will have produced tangible results.
We accept the EC’s critical findings, because they show that reforms in the areas of justice and home affairs continue to face many difficulties and challenges. We are aware that the new approach and the institutional changes within the judiciary are still not achieving the results that we all desire.
The coming 18 months will be a time in which all Bulgarian institutions will prove their determination to change the judicial system and to cut back corruption and organised crime.
The EC has a new approach, for the first time doing away with interim reports regarding the CVM. This will create space for the implementation of measures already identified by Bulgaria and sets a timeframe for completion of commitments and demonstration of the results of reforms that have been implemented.
The fact that for the third consecutive year, the EC notes the Bulgarian Government’s strong political will for reform is not only recognition but a commitment to successfully achieve the goals of this process.