Bulgaria and Romania to join EU in 2007

The European Commission has given Bulgaria and Romania the green light to join the European Union in January, but with the closest monitoring system ever imposed on new members. The 26th and 27th members of the European club will be allowed to join up on January 1, 2007, EU Commission President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso announced at an EU parliamentary plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday. While the EU's executive arm decided that the two countries have made sufficient reforms to be allowed to enter the club, both still need to work harder to overcome corruption, organised crime, and ensure the proper use of EU funds and food safety. "Bulgaria and Romania have carried out an extraordinary reform process and they have gone through a remarkable transformation," the European Commission said in a statement.