European Commission: Strategy Paper and Report 2003

Accession roadmaps

As announced in its 2001 Enlargement Strategy Paper, the Commission will propose, on the basis of the analysis in the 2002 Regular Reports, detailed roadmaps for Bulgaria and Romania before the Copenhagen European Council. These roadmaps will cover the period up to accession and will be prepared on the basis of a close dialogue with each country.

The roadmaps will be based on the commitments made in the negotiations and on the requirements to fulfil the Copenhagen criteria. They will indicate the steps each country needs to take to be ready for membership, with particular emphasis on administrative and judicial capacity and on economic reform. The roadmaps will provide clear benchmarks against which commitments made in the course of the negotiations as well as progress with economic reform can be monitored. Progress in implementing the road maps will be monitored in particular through the Europe Agreement structures and the Regular Reports.