site.btaDeputy PM Zaharieva Confers with EU Commissioners Jourova, Reynders, Varhelyi

January 22 (BTA) - Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva conferred in Brussels with European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova (in charge of Values and Transparency), Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders and Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, Zaharieva's Ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.

The sides discussed a number of issues on the European agenda and the cooperation between the Bulgarian Government and the new European Commission.

Jourova stressed that the Commission wants to discontinue the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM). "There is no need of new reports on Bulgaria under the Mechanism," she stressed.

Since 2007, the Commission has assessed Bulgaria's progress in judicial reform and the fight against corruption and organised crime under the CVM, issuing regular reports to the European Parliament and the Council.

Jourova and Reynders presented the basic principles of the future comprehensive European Rule of Law Mechanism, which will monitor developments in all Member States in the judicial system, counter-corruption and media freedom.

Reynders said that the Mechanism will be formally presented in the middle of 2020, and work with Member States' contact points on formulating a systematic approach to its application will begin as early as February.

Jourova welcomed the Bulgarian Government's decision to set up a national post-monitoring mechanism for counter-corruption and organized crime control, the judicial reform and rule of law.

Zaharieva and Varhelyi discussed ways of helping the European Commission in the processes of Western Balkans' integration. NV/LG
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