EU Accession Treaty




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Romania Signs EU Accession Treaty
BBC News, April 25, 2005


President Traian Basescu and PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu join a Luxembourg ceremony on Monday to sign the Treaty of Accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the EU. On Romania’s behalf, the document will be signed by President Basescu, witnessed by ex-Presidents Emil Constantinescu and Ion Iliescu.


The signing is possible due to the vote of the European Parliament on the “Moscovici report” on Romania and a resolution regarding the country’s admission in the Union in 2007 on April 13. The vote ended positively despite numerous voices demanding its postponement.


The Treaty includes a Protocol presenting the terms and commitments related to the admission of the two countries and contains several safeguarding clauses which may lead to the postponement of the integration by one year unless Bucharest and Sofia stick to reforms.


The document also says Bulgaria and Romania will join the European Economic and Monetary Union once they become members. The countries also commit to join accords and conventions signed by the Union and current member states, with decisions due to be made jointly. Romania will have 35 representatives to the European Parliament while Bulgaria will send 18.


Elections for the European Parliament will take place by direct and universal vote and will have to occur in the two countries before December 31, 2007.