site.btaUPDATED Bulgarian Prime Minister, Justice Minister Meet with European Parliament Monitoring Group

Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov and Justice Minister Atanas Slavov on Thursday conferred with visiting members of the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group (DRFMG) of the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE).

Addressing the LIBE representatives, Denkov said, quoted by the Government Information Service: "We would like to make Bulgaria a normal European country."

The PM stressed that the Bulgarian Government prioritizes Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area, the eurozone and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Denkov recalled that the European Commission recently ended the monitoring of Bulgaria and Romania through the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. "This is a clear indication of the success of the reforms in the area of the rule of law that our country has carried out," he pointed out.

The Prime Minister is optimistic that amendments to the Constitution seeking to enhance the independence of the judiciary will be adopted before the end of 2023.

At the meeting with Justice Minister Slavov earlier on Thursday, his Ministry was also represented by Deputy Minister Emil Dechev and the Minister's Chef de Cabinet Borislav Ganchev.  

The DRFMG mission, led by MEP Sophie in 't Veld (Renew Europe), is in Bulgaria for meetings in connection with rule of law, combating corruption and media freedom. The delegation also comprises MEPs Elena Yoncheva (Socialists and Democrats), Clare Daly (The Left) and Erik Marquardt (Greens/European Free Alliance).

On October 10, the European Parliament said that a LIBE delegation will visit Sofia on October 12-13 for assessment of the state of democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental rights in this country. In 't Veld will participate in a news conference at Sofia's House of Europe at 3 p.m. on October 13.