On 1 February 1993, the European Communities and their Member States conclude a Europe agreement with Romania of which the main aims are to establish a free-trade area between the contracting parties and to provide a basis for economic, financial, cultural and social cooperation.
On 8 March 1994, the European Communities and their Member States conclude a Europe Agreement with Bulgaria of which the main aims are to establish a free-trade area between the contracting parties and to provide a basis for economic, financial, cultural and social cooperation.
On 22 June 1995, Nicolae Vacaroiu, Prime Minister of Romania, forwards to Hervé de Charette, French Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Union (EU), a letter in which he officially submits Romania’s application for accession to the EU.
On 14 December 1995, Jean Videnov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, forwards to Javier Solana, Spanish Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Union (EU), a letter in which he officially submits Bulgaria’s application for accession to the EU.
On 15 July 1997, in an Opinion issued on Bulgaria's application for accession to the European Union, the European Commission emphasises the progress made by the country in order to comply with the political and economic criteria. However, it considers that Bulgaria is experiencing serious problems in transposing the Community acquis into national law and reaches the conclusion that the accession negotiations will be opened as soon as the country has made sufficient progress to meet the accession terms set by the Copenhagen European Council.
On 15 July 1997, in an Opinion on Romania’s application for accession to the European Union, the European Commission emphasises the progress made by the country in order to comply with the political and economic criteria. However, it considers that Romania is experiencing serious problems in transposing the Community acquis into national law and reaches the conclusion that the accession negotiations will be opened as soon as the country has made sufficient progress to meet the accession terms set by the Copenhagen European Council.
On 13 November 2002, the European Commission proposes detailed roadmaps for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union in advance of the Copenhagen European Council which is due to be held on 12 and 13 December.
On 17 and 18 June 2004, the European Council recalls the Union's objective to welcome Bulgaria and Romania as Member States in January 2007, reaffirms the Union's commitment to the opening of accession negotiations with Turkey if, in December, it decides that the country fulfils the Copenhagen political criteria and recognises Croatia as an applicant country.
On 6 October 2004, the European Commission forwards to the Council and to the European Parliament a Strategy Paper in which it emphasises the progress made by Romania and by the Republic of Bulgaria towards their accession to the European Union and gives its views on the terms of and on Croatia's state of preparedness for future accession to the European Union.
On 12 January 2005, the French daily newspaper Le Monde comments on the European Commission’s concerns at the fact that Bulgaria and Romania have fallen behind in the application of Community legislation, the fight against corruption and respect for freedoms.
On 1 June 2005, commenting on France’s rejection of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, the French daily newspaper Le Figaro highlights the possible consequences that this vote will have on the accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union.
‘European depression.’ On 7 June 2005, following France’s rejection of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, German cartoonist Sakurai illustrates the serious crisis facing the European Union and particularly portrays the repercussions on the EU enlargement process.
On 3 August 2005, the French daily newspaper Le Monde reports on the political crisis affecting Bulgaria and Romania which threatens to delay their accession to the European Union.
On 25 April 2005, in Luxembourg, the representatives of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom, together with the Bulgarian and Romanian representatives, sign the Protocol concerning the conditions and arrangements for admission of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union.
Anlässlich der feierlichen Unterzeichnung des Vertrags über den Beitritt Bulgariens und Rumäniens zur Europäischen Union am 25. April 2005 hält der luxemburgische Premierminister und amtierende Vorsitzende im Rat der Europäischen Union, Jean-Claude Juncker, eine Rede, in der er die Tragweite dieses Ereignisses betont und gleichzeitig die Schwierigkeiten der Beitrittsverhandlungen erwähnt.
Anlässlich der feierlichen Unterzeichnung des Vertrags über den Beitritt Bulgariens und Rumäniens zur Europäischen Union am 25. April 2005 in Luxemburg hält der Präsident des Europäischen Parlaments Josep Borrell Fontelles eine Rede, in der er den Beitritt der beiden Staaten begrüßt.
Anlässlich der feierlichen Unterzeichnung des Vertrags über den Beitritt Bulgariens und Rumäniens zur Europäischen Union am 25. April 2005 in Luxemburg hält der Präsident der Europäischen Kommission José Manuel Durão Barroso ein Rede, in der er die Anstrengungen hervorhebt, die beide Länder noch unternehmen müssen, um für ihren Beitritt am 1. Januar 2007 bereit zu sein.
Anlässlich der feierlichen Unterzeichnung des Vertrags über den Beitritt Bulgariens und Rumäniens zur Europäischen Union am 25. April 2005 in Luxemburg hält der bulgarische Premierminister Simeon Sakskoburggotski eine Rede, in der er die historische Tragweite dieses Ereignisses für sein Land betont.
Anlässlich der feierlichen Unterzeichnung des Vertrags über den Beitritt Bulgariens und Rumäniens zur Europäischen Union am 25. April 2005 in Luxemburg hält der Präsident Rumäniens Traian Basescu eine Rede, in der er die historische Bedeutung dieses Vertrags für sein Land betont und den Weg beschreibt, den Rumänien seit dem Ende der Diktatur im Jahre 1989 zurückgelegt hat.
On 25 April 2005, representatives of the Member States of the European Union, of the Council, of the European Commission and of the European Parliament are photographed alongside the Bulgarian and Romanian representatives during the ceremony held in Luxembourg to mark the signing of the Treaties of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union.
On 25 April 2005, representatives of Bulgaria sign the Treaty of Accession to the European Union in Luxembourg. In the process of signing are, seated from left to right, Georgi Parvanov, Bulgarian President, and Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Standing behind them are Solomon Passy, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Meglena Kuneva, Minister of European Affairs.
On 25 April 2005, representatives of Romania sign the Treaty of Accession to the European Union in Luxembourg. In the process of signing are, seated from left to right, Mihai-Razvan Ungureanu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Leonard Orban, Romania's Chief Negotiator with the EU. Standing behind them are President Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Taricean.
On 25 April 2005, José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, Traian Basescu, President of Romania, Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg Prime Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Union, Georgi Parvanov, President of Bulgaria, and Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Prime Minister of Bulgaria, hold a joint press conference in Luxembourg to mark the signing of the Treaties of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union.
On 25 April 2005, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (left), Bulgarian Prime Minister, and Calin Popescu-Tariceanu (right), Romanian Prime Minister, shake hands on the margins of the ceremony held in Luxembourg for the signing of the Treaties of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union.
On 25 April 2005, representatives of the Member States of the European Union, of the Council, of the European Commission and of the European Parliament are photographed alongside the Bulgarian and Romanian representatives during the ceremony held in Luxembourg to mark the signing of the Treaties of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union.
On 17 May 2006, the French daily newspaper Le Figaro comments on the monitoring report on the state of preparedness for EU membership of Bulgaria and Romania, submitted the previous day in Brussels by the European Commission.
On 19 May 2006, in Brussels, on the occasion of the submission by the European Commission of the monitoring report on the state of preparedness for EU membership of Bulgaria and Romania, the weekly newspaper D’Lëtzebuerger Land comments on the efforts made by the two countries to comply with the accession criteria.
On 14 June 2006, one month after the publication of the European Commission Monitoring Report on the state of preparedness for EU membership of Bulgaria and Romania, the European Parliament adopts a resolution on the accession of these two countries to the European Union.
On 26 September 2006, José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, delivers an address to the Members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg in which he comments on the final monitoring report on the state of preparedness of Bulgaria and Romania for accession to the European Union.
On 29 September 2006, the French daily newspaper Le Figaro criticises the European Commission report on the state of preparedness of Bulgaria and Romania for accession to the European Union (EU) and recommends that a debate be held on the external borders of the EU.
On 17 October 2006, following the European Commission’s final Monitoring Report issued on 26 September, the Council of the European Union decides to welcome Bulgaria and Romania as Member States of the European Union as from 1 January 2007.
On 19 March 2005, referring to the forthcoming signing of Romania’s Treaty of Accession to the European Union, the daily newspaper La Libre Belgique takes a critical look at the reforms undertaken in the country.
On 20 June 2005, the French daily newspaper Le Figaro outlines the prevailing view in Bulgaria on accession to the European Union despite the political crisis triggered by the negative outcome of the referenda held in France and the Netherlands on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.
On 5 July, the French daily newspaper Libération describes the attitude of the Bulgarian people towards the possibility of their country’s accession to the European Union being postponed.
On 6 July 2005, the French daily newspaper Le Monde comments on the rise of Euroscepticism in Bulgaria and Romania following the political crisis caused by the negative outcome of the referenda held in France and the Netherlands on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.
On 15 December 2006, shortly before the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union, the French-speaking Belgian daily newspaper La Libre Belgique speculates on future enlargements of the Union, championed by some Member States and opposed by others.
On 25 December 2006, a few days before the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union, the French daily newspaper Le Monde considers the new geopolitical context established by the enlargement of the Union to include the countries of Eastern Europe.
Following the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union on 1 January 2007, the edition of the Luxembourg weekly newspaper D'Lëtzebuerger Land of 5 January outlines the implications of this sixth enlargement for the Union and for these two countries.
Table showing the Romanian Members of the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Communities and the European Court of Auditors since Romania’s accession to the European Union on 1 January 2007.
Table showing the Bulgarian Members of the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Communities and the European Court of Auditors since Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union on 1 January 2007.