Joining in January 2007, both countries continue to be bottom of the EU league in terms of wages, transport infrastructure, health and education (Photo: futureatlas.com)

Feature

15 years on: How are Bulgaria and Romania doing in the EU?

Rule of Law

by Cristian Gherasim, Bucharest,

Joining in January 2007, both countries continue to be bottom of the EU league in terms of wages, transport infrastructure, health and education (Photo: futureatlas.com)

This January marks 15 years since both Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union - with a decade-and-a-half of both accomplishments and setbacks.

The two former communist states both became EU members some three years later than the main 2004 accession wave of other ex-Iron Curtain east European nations.

Romania and Bulgaria have seen over the past 15 years a slow-but-steady rise in the standard of living, as well as many reversals in bringing about reform in all areas of pu...

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Rule of Law Feature

Author Bio

Cristian Gherasim is a freelance journalist contributing to EUobserver, Euronews, EU Reporter, Katoikos, Von Mises Institute, and bne IntelliNews, with a particular focus on European and regional affairs.