Germany will not start the process of ratification of Bulgaria's EU accession treaty before May 17. This is the date on which the European Commission is to present its last report on Bulgaria's readiness to join the union. However, chances are good that the procedure will start before the end of the year, said German deputy foreign minister Gernot Erler, mediapool.bg reported.
The decision can be seen as bad news for Bulgaria, given that Bulgaria's Cabinet requested separation of the process of ratification from that of the EC report. A delay in the ratification process could lead to delayed membership. German officials see that Bulgaria and Romania are making an effort to complete reforms rapidly. A number of Bulgarian state officials have visited Germany, but the country prefers to wait for the issuing of the EC report before a final decision is taken. Germany would definitely follow the EC recommendations concerning Bulgaria's membership, Erler said. He said that a number of East European problems would likely be solved this year, including conclusion of negotiations on the status of Kosovo and clarity on the relations between Serbia and Montenegro.