'Bulgaria' - tagged features

Europe’s biggest story this week was the return home of a group of Bulgarians who moved abroad in the 1990’s only to find themselves facing death sentences for crimes they didn’t commit. The 6 Bulgarian medics repatriated by Libya on Tuesday captured headlines across the continent. They’d been jailed for deliberately infecting children with HIV but had always protested their innocence. There were jubilant scenes at Sofia airport as the medics landed on their French government plane. 

Behind the scenes in Brussels questions are being asked about French coercion and threats to switch off Libya’s anti-missile shield. And there’s been fevered speculation as to exactly how the deal to free the Bulgarian medics was made, and who knew about it. Before the champagne corks in Sofia had even started popping difficult questions were being asked about the contents of the deal with Colonel Gaddaffi’s government. 

Bulgaria has become a haven for tourists who come to enjoy the beautiful seaside and the pleasant climate. But now, they also come for relatively cheap and good quality dental care. Radio Bulgaria's Veneta Nikolova reports on the teeth-tourists. 

Across the border from Romania, There's a sea change in the way Bulgarians think about relationships and marriage - as well. And there's a new acceptance of variety.  Radio Bulgaria's Radostin Zhelev takes this personal look. 

This New Year's Day will be a historic one for Bulgarians and Romanians whose countries will finally join the European Union and enlarge the bloc to 27 member states. Romania's road to membership has been a bumpy one, but last September, the European Commission finally ruled that the country had met all the criteria required to join the block. The problem is that Romania is not joining the club at an ideal time. Enlargement is no longer popular in Western Europe, and many Europeans fear the competition of cheaper Romanian workers. There are also doubts as to whether Romania is really fit to join the EU. Romania's EU integration Minister, Anca Daniela Boagiu discussed these issues with Network Europe. 

Do Europeans need or want to get any closer together? As romania and Bulgaria prepare to join the EU in 2 months time we look at how they're being welcomed, or not. As the banlieues burn we look at inner city deprivation and at what's being done to stop the rot. Europe's getting bigger all the time and our leaders in Brussels are keen for it to keep expanding. And there are plenty of states keen to join. Turkey and several Balkan states are currently front of the queue to start negotiations. What some predict will happen then is a mass-migration as east europeans seek better wages as they go west. So what do europeans think of the expansion and the prospect of the continent experiencing a massive labour force on the move? Network Europe's reporters have been out on the streets of the capitals to find out. 

Recently, Romanian and Bulgarian authorities spotted an oil slick on the surface of the Danube River. It soon became apparent that the oil installations at Prahovo in Serbia were to be blamed for the release of an "undetermined quantity" of heating oil into the Danube, one of Europe's most important environmental and economic river-ways. In less than a week the Romanian authorities managed to clean the 50 km long oil slick of oil spending more than 300 thousand Euros in the process . Fortunately the damage to the environment was minimal. But now the question is: Who is foot the 300 thousand euro clean up bill? Radio Romania International's Iulian Muresan reports that the lack of trans-boundary environmental legislation in countries outside the EU renders these kinds of issues even thornier than they already are. 

Romania and its neighbour Bulgaria, will most probably join the European Union on January the 1st , 2007. Many Romanians support membership because it will allow them to work and gain experience abroad, preferably in the UK. But Radio Romania International explains that the UK may curtail its open doors policy. 

In Europe, Kings and Queens take part in numerous official ceremonies throughout the year, they make state visits abroad, but they rarely rule. Each year in Britain the Queen reads a speech in Parliament, but she speaks on behalf of her government, she reads a speech written by the prime minister. In Monaco the Prince actually rules the principality but Monaco is an exception. Bulgaria is an interesting case, because King Siméon the second governed the country from 2001 to 2005, not because he is the king, but because he won the general elections. But is Siméon the second a monarch or a politician. 

This week the European Commission gave candidate countries Bulgaria and Romania both a red card and a green light. The Commission said both nations could join the European Union on January 1st, provided they step-up reforms in a number of areas. Failure to do so would mean delayed entry into the EU. The Commission will assess their progress in autumn. The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, said both nations need to show clear results in order to avoid a delay in joining the EU. In Bulgaria's case, corruption and organized crime have been singled out as areas in need of urgent attention. Radio France International reports from Sofia. 

Corruption, organized crime and money laundering are Bulgaria's and the European Commission's biggest headache. Romania still needs to prove that its recent crackdown on corruption and crime is irreversible. But the four red flags it received from the European Commission were all in technical areas such as agriculture. Radio Romania International reports from Bucharest. 

Bulgaria and Romania are waiting for the European Commission to publish its report next week on whether they'll be ready to join the European Union in January 2007 or will have to wait until 2008. The European Commission might well decide to put their membership on hold and ask for more reforms - especially when it comes to fighting crime and corruption. But the uncertainty over EU membership didn't keep Romanians from celebrating Europe Day. Radio Romania International reports.