The report of the European Commission on the progress in Bulgaria under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism corresponds with Bulgaria’s most generous to all social groups budget, Bulgaria’s Premier Boyko Borissov said. Premier Borissov pointed out that the higher expenses are due to the good results in the fight against corruption and smuggling. Boyko Borissov underlined thatthree benchmarks out of six are provisionally closed. The closed benchmarks regard organized crime and judicial reform which weigh heavy on the Bulgarians for the past decades. Boyko Borissov quoted First Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans that “If the current positive trend continues and progress is maintained sustainably and irreversibly the CVM process for Bulgaria can be concluded before the end of this Commission’s mandate”. Premier Borissov voiced hopes that when the Dutch government reads the latest EC report it would change its position related to Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen Area. 

We have to initiate debates on the freedom of media in Bulgaria, Premier Borissov said on occasion of the ascertainment in the latest EC report that media environment in Bulgaria deteriorated. The President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani told the Bulgarian National Radio that the problem related to ensuring freedom of media exists in other EU countries as well. On Tuesday EC First Vice President Frans Timmermans said that the topic about freedom of media in Bulgaria is not subject to monitoring under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, but influences the progress of the judicial reform and the fight against corruption.