Sun, Nov 22 2009
The pace of reforms in East European countries members of the EU slowed down, World Bank (WB) said in a recent report.
These countries failed taking advantage of their increased economic growth and improving public financing, Dnevnik daily reported.
WB's expectations are that the growth rate of eight out of the 10 East European countries which joined the EU in 2004 and of the newest EU members Bulgaria and Romania will decrease. Only Slovakia and Poland will be exception of this tendency.
The countries did not use their economic growth to finish reforms and cope with their budget deficit.
The report said that only Bulgaria and Estonia have sufficiently tightened their fiscal policies in 2006.
Only Hungary and Poland will likely experience positive changes in 2007, the report said.
More ambitious fiscal policy was needed in Latvia while Bulgaria and Romania could also hardly afford to loosen their fiscal policy in 2007.
The European Commission is taking Bulgaria to court for delays in providing Sofia with adequate waste disposal facilities.
James Warlick is the spouse of Mary Warlick, director of the office of Russian affairs at the US state department, who has been nominated to serve as ambassador to Serbia
Bulgaria’s Health Ministry announced on November 20 2009 that the flu epidemic declared two weeks earlier is at an end as rates of infection decline. The announcement coincides with reports of two deaths from A (H1N1) flu in Bulgaria.
Acting on allegations by Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria leader Ivan Kostov, prosecutors and Government officials are to probe deals by which Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Ahmed Dogan acquired various properties.
Prosecutors allege that a deal agreed by the former defence minister caused losses of 12.9 million leva.