http://www.eubusiness.com Latest business news about Bulgaria and the European Union. daily 1 2007-01-02T13:25:17Z http://www.eubusiness.com/europe/bulgaria/progress-12 When they joined the EU on 1 January 2007, Romania and Bulgaria still had progress to make in the fields of judicial reform, corruption and organised crime. To smooth the entry of both countries and at the same time safeguard the workings of its policies and institutions, the EU decided to establish a special "cooperation and verification mechanism" to help them address these outstanding shortcomings. In December 2006, the Commission set criteria ("benchmarks") for assessing progress made on these issues (consult the reports). The decision to continue assessing Bulgaria and Romania shows the EU's commitment to see the two countries develop the effective administrative and judicial systems they need to deliver on the obligations of membership as well as enjoying the benefits. Progress on judicial reform, corruption and organized crime will allow Bulgarians and Romanians to enjoy their full rights as EU citizens. No publisher eub2 Bulgaria 2012-02-08T16:25:22Z Guide http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/romania-bulgaria.f1q Romanian and Bulgarian hopes of rapidly joining the Schengen visa-free travel zone were dealt a new blow Wednesday as an EU report urged them to take more action against corruption and organised crime. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. Romania Netherlands immigration Schengen Headline1 Bulgaria 2012-02-08T16:29:15Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/nuclear-environment.f1i The EU faces a shortfall of some 2.5 billion euros to complete de-commissioning of eight ex-Soviet nuclear plants in Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia, says the European Court of Auditors. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. nuclear Lithuania environment Slovakia Headline1 safety Bulgaria 2012-02-08T10:41:33Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/bulgaria-rights.f09 Bulgaria pledged Monday to shut its dilapidated mental homes after the European Court of Human Rights condemned Sofia over an inmate held for years after being wrongly diagnosed as schizophrenic. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. health rights court Bulgaria 2012-02-06T18:16:55Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/romania-bulgaria.exm Romania's President Traian Basescu on Thursday accused the Netherlands of abuse over its blocking of Romania and Bulgaria's accession to the visa-free Schengen area. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. Romania Netherlands immigration Schengen Bulgaria 2012-02-02T11:28:12Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-public-debt.etv Parliament in non-eurozone Bulgaria voted Friday to join an EU budget pact for tighter discipline but with conditions regarding tax policy and exemption from certain financial obligations. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. public debt Finance Bulgaria 2012-01-27T14:30:49Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/bulgaria-china.et1 Chinese car-maker Great Wall Motor will open on February 21 a plant in Bulgaria, producing the first Chinese cars assembled in Europe, its local partner Litex Motors said on Thursday. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. automobile industry China Bulgaria 2012-01-26T14:40:08Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/bulgaria-politics.esm Bulgaria's new President Rosen Plevneliev said Wednesday he wanted a better image and a more active role for his country in the EU, ahead of talks in Brussels with EU executive chief Jose Manuel Barroso. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. INTERVIEW politics president Bulgaria 2012-01-25T17:26:06Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/immigration-travel.esi Bulgaria said Wednesday it had decided to offer visa-free business and tourist travel to all Schengen visa holders, despite remaining outside Europe's border-free travel area. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. travel Schengen immigration Bulgaria 2012-01-25T17:24:01Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/bulgaria-aid-funds.ep2 World Bank and European Investment Bank experts will help Bulgaria make better use of European aid funds, the government said Sunday, as it signed memorandums of understandings with the two institutions. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. aid funds Bulgaria 2012-01-22T21:59:03Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/bulgaria-politics.eou Bulgaria's conservative President Rosen Plevneliev took office Sunday, urging national unity around the goal of improving the economy and the country's image within the EU. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. Bulgaria politics president 2012-01-22T11:22:02Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/romania-bulgaria.en3 Romanian President Traian Baseescu on Thursday blasted the EU's veto of his country's accession to the visa-free Schengen area and labour market restrictions imposed by nine member states. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. Romania Schengen immigration labour Bulgaria 2012-01-19T15:58:34Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/bulgaria-aid-funds.eio EU's poorest newcomer Bulgaria managed to make use of just 20 per cent of its European aid funds last year but aims to double that in 2012, says EU Funds Management Minister Tomislav Donchev. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. aid Headline2 funds Bulgaria 2012-01-13T15:43:50Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/netherlands-sweden.eid Policing agency Europol said Thursday it has busted a major synthetic drugs-making network and arrested nine suspects in four countries, while recovering drugs, equipment, guns and explosives. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. Netherlands drugs crime Sweden Germany Europol Bulgaria 2012-01-12T16:52:41Z News Item http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-public-debt.ehg Non-eurozone member Bulgaria said Wednesday it will join an EU budget pact for tighter discipline but refused to undertake any financial pledges to aid the eurozone or accept changes to its tax policy. No publisher eub2 Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. debt Finance Headline2 public Bulgaria 2012-01-11T14:41:11Z News Item