Ognian Zlatev, EC in Bulgaria: EC Monitoring Reports are not a Whim but a Necessary Mechanism for Bulgaria

The European Commission's monitoring reports are not a whim by Brussels but a necessary mechanism for Bulgaria, Ognian Zlatev, Head of the EC Representation in Bulgaria, told Focus Radio in connection with Bulgaria's progress under the cooperation and verification mechanism.

"Let's not focus on the mechanism as something imposed, it is necessary so that Bulgarian citizens could live in an even more democratic environment and feel secure about their future," he said. Having made significant progress on the judiciary's independence, the legislative framework and the fight against organised crime, now Bulgaria should focus on high-level corruption, external borders and the continuation of the judicial reform, he said. In his words, political stability in the country over the past year contributed to the continuity of the reform process. "We expect the monitoring conducted by the EC for the last 11 years to be terminated before the end of the current EC mandate, but the solution is entirely in the hands of Bulgaria," Ognian Zlatev noted. According to him, a termination would be another step towards the Schengen area.