SOFIA (dpa-AFX) - On Friday, the European Commission formally closed the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, or CVM, for Bulgaria and Romania.
The Cooperation and Verification Mechanism had been introduced at the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union in 2007 as a transitional measure to facilitate progress in the fields of judicial reform and anti-corruption, as well as on organised crime for Bulgaria.
The Commission repealed the two decisions citing significant progress the two east European countries made since their accession to the European bloc.
'I would like to congratulate Bulgaria and Romania for the significant progress they made since their accession to the EU. The rule of law is one of our fundamental common values as a Union and both Member States have delivered on important reforms in these past years. Today we recognise these efforts by putting an end to the CVM. Work can now continue under the annual rule of law cycle as for all Member States,' said the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The Commission has regularly reported on progress on the relevant reforms in Bulgaria and Romania. In its latest CVM report on Bulgaria and Romania, the Commission concluded that they had satisfactorily met their obligations set out under the CVM at the time of accession to the Union and needed to continue working to implement specific commitments listed in the conclusions of the reports. This work was completed in June 2023.
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