According to Graham Watson, Europe faces today many global challenges. "Either we choose to join forces to have a greater impact on the challenges we face, or else Europe will stay on the sidelines. By bringing in Romania and Bulgaria into the EU, our Union will be more efficient in tackling immigration policies as well as environmental, economic and security challenges", he insisted.
Bulgaria and Romania were given the green light to start accession negotiations in 1999. The process was officially completed in December 2004. On the 13th April 2005, the European Parliament gave its formal assent to accession, which paved the way for today's signing of the accession treaty.
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Next news story: Liberals and Democrats back the Commission's new step to consolidate the Single Market in financial services (Tue 3rd May 2005).
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