EU membership delays 'will bring instability'
By Raphael Minder and George Parker in Brussels
The Black Sea region faces serious political instability if membership of the European Union for Romania and Bulgaria is delayed, according to the leader of the Socialist group in the European parliament.
Martin Schulz said a delay would unleash nationalism and populism in the two countries. "You have ultra-nationalists, fascists and former communists in both these countries," he said.
Writing in Monday's FT, Olli Rehn, the European commissioner in charge of enlargement, raises similar concerns over the former Yugoslavia. "The Balkans could be emerging from the long tunnel of nationalism into the light, rejoining the family of European nations where they belong?.?.?.?this year is the worst possible time for the EU to go wobbly on its commitment to future enlargement," he says.
Mr Rehn is due on May 16 to deliver his verdict on whether the EU should allow Bulgaria and Romania to join in January 2007 or delay this by a year.
Justifying his support for the earlier date, Mr Schulz told the FT: "What we need in the Black Sea region is stability. Europe cannot have more instability."
Although the European parliament agreed last year to Romania and Bulgaria joining the EU, a clash between Mr Rehn and MEPs would create an embarrassing political situation at a time when some national politicians in the EU are calling for the brakes to be applied to the enlargement process.
Mr Schulz's position jars with that of leading German centre-right MEPs, who have said corruption and other problems in the two countries would justify delaying until 2008. Last month, MEPs also adopted a report compiled by Elmar Brok, the German chairman of the parliament's foreign affairs committee, who argued that the EU's "absorption capability is under present conditions insufficient".
Mr Brok told the FT the idea that delaying until 2008 could create political instability in the region was "a blackmailing argument". He added: "It's the other way round. If somebody comes in and isn't ready for that, then you can create instability."
Mr Rehn will brief MEPs tonight on the way the two countries are preparing for membership, although he will refrain from indicating whether they should join in 2007 or 2008. Later this week, he will travel to Bucharest for his final round of talks with the Romanian leadership before giving his verdict on the country's preparations next month.
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