site.btaEuropean Commission Formally Closes Cooperation and Verification Mechanism for Bulgaria and Romania

The European Commission announced on Friday that it formally closes the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) for Bulgaria and Romania. The CVM was introduced at the EU accession of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007 as a transitional measure to facilitate progress in the fields of judicial reform and anti-corruption, as well as on organized crime for Bulgaria. The Commission first issued semiannual reports, which then became annual reports.

In 2018, the European Commission decided to end the CVM for Bulgaria on account of the sufficient progress made in meeting the recommendations issued by the Commission in its 17 reports.

In 2020, the Commission introduced a Rule of Law Report for all EU Member States.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was quoted as saying: "I would like to congratulate Bulgaria and Romania for the significant progress they made since their accession to the EU. The rule of law is one of our fundamental common values as a Union and both Member States have delivered on important reforms in these past years. Today we recognise these efforts by putting an end to the CVM. Work can now continue under the annual rule of law cycle as for all Member States."

The evolution of the EU's rule of law landscape has given a new context for the Commission's cooperation with Bulgaria and Romania, the press release said. The Rule of Law Reports accompany sustainable reform in both Bulgaria and Romania as in other Member States. The Commission's annual Rule of Law Report, which since 2022 also includes recommendations to the Member States, enables the monitoring of the implementation of many of Bulgaria's and Romania's agreed reforms. Their progress has also been monitored where relevant within the framework of the European Semester, the Commission said.