site.btaApril 25, 2005: Bulgaria Signs the Treaty of Accession to the European Union in Luxembourg

On April 25, 2005, then Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov, Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Minister of Foreign Affairs Solomon Passy, and Minister of European Affairs Meglena Kouneva signed the Treaty of Accession to the European Union of Bulgaria in Luxembourg. The Treaty entered into force on January 1, 2007.

The Treaty arranged the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU and amended earlier Treaties of the European Union. Following the successful completion of accession negotiations, the European Council concluded on December 17, 2004, that Bulgaria and Romania were ready to become members of the European Union.

On February 22, 2005, the European Commission delivered a favourable opinion on the accession to the European Union of the two countries. As a result, on April 13, 2005 the European Parliament gave assent to the applications of Bulgaria and Romania to become members of the European Union. The Parliament voted in favour of Bulgaria with 522 votes in favour, 70 votes against and 69 abstentions. On April 25, 2005, the Council of the European Union accepted the applications for admission of Bulgaria and Romania.

In addition to the Treaty of Accession a Final Act was signed, which registered the results of the accession negotiations. It also laid down arrangements for the period between signing and entry into force of the treaty. The process was completed on December 20, 2006.

The BTA English Services covered the event extensively, with numerous reports before and after the signing ceremony in Luxembourg. There were also reports on the activities of the Bulgarian officials, their meetings with top state and commission officials outside the ceremony itself.

The BTA English Services also reported on an event in Sofia marking the significance of the day for Bulgaria. At a solemn meeting of the Council on European Integration with the Council of Ministers, then Deputy Prime Minister Plamen Panayotov said that “Bulgaria has returned to its home, that the dreams, the aspirations of generations of politicians and statesmen are finally becoming a fact.”

Attending the meeting were all cabinet ministers, representatives of the parliamentary Committee on European Integration, former Bulgarian presidents Zhelyu Zhelev and Petar Stoyanov, the head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Bulgaria, Dimitris Kourkoulas, and Ambassador of the Netherlands to Bulgaria Baroness Henriette van Lynden.

This is the BTA English Services' final report after the signing ceremony of the Treaty of Accession to the European Union, which includes details of the events and celebrations across Bulgaria on the occasion:

Bulgaria Signs EU Accession Treaty

Luxembourg, April 25 (BTA) - Bulgaria signed the EU Accession Treaty which will allow it to formally join the Union from January 1, 2007. The signing ceremony was held at Neumunster Abbey in Luxembourg which holds the rotating EU presidency.

Bulgaria will join in together with neighbouring Romania. 

THE CEREMONY

The document was signed for Bulgaria by Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, President Georgi Purvanov, Foreign Minister Solomon Passy and European Affairs Minister Meglena Kouneva. It will have a total of 56 signatures, including those of government officials of all 25 member states. 

The European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Union Council were represented by their presidents Josep Borrel Fontelles, Jose Manuel Barroso and Jean-Claude Juncker respectively. 

The Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg also attended the ceremony.

The ceremony started with the performance of Ode of Joy, the European anthem, by the world-famous Bulgarian choir Mystere des voix bulgares. They sang in German and Bulgarian language. 

BULGARIA THANKS THE EU PARTNERS

In a highly emotional address, Bulgarian Prime Minister Saxa-Coburg-Gotha thanked the European partners, the governments and parliaments of the member states for their support and assistance throughout the accession process, and expressed hope that the member states will ratify the treaty of accession in due time to allow for actual accession of Bulgaria and Romania from January 1, 2007. 

The Bulgarian government leader went on to thank the Bulgarian Parliament, government and all Bulgarians for their hard work and resolve to see their country become a EU member. In conclusion, he said he dedicated the signing of the treaty to Bulgaria's youth - the people who will see the triumph of united Europe in the 21st century.

BULGARIA CELEBRATES

In Bulgaria, thousands joined nation-wide celebrations. The day abounded in concerts, parades, flying kytes and baloons. In Sofia and Plovdiv, the signing ceremony was shown live on  large video screens. 2007 baloons in white, green and red - the colours of the Bulgarian national flag - flew in the Varna sky.  In the old Bulgarian capital of Veliko Turnovo, students of the local university planted 27 oak sapplings - the number of the EU member states after the latest wave of enlargement. Over 60,000 leafelets reading "Europe Deserves Bulgaria", among others, were dispersed over Veliko Turnovo and the nearby Gorna Oryahovitsa and Lyaskovets. 

There were joint Bulgarian-Romanian celebrations in Rousse and Giurgiu, on the two sides of the Danube. At Dounav Bridge that links the two countries, children broke a barrier of flowers in a symbolic ritual and baloons and pigeons flew up in the sky. 

All Bulgarian babies born on this day received a silver pendant and a diploma in a Social Ministry campaign called EURObaby 2005. 

Also on this day, the Bulgarian central bank released a commemorative coin "Bulgaria-European Union". The coin has been minted in 14,000 pieces. 

Representatives of all political forces hailed the signing of the accession treaty. They were unanimous that the event comes as a recognition of Bulgaria's progress and recognized the efforts of all governments that have contributed to the cause of Bulgaria's EU accession. 

April 25 also saw the launch of a video advertising Bulgaria on EuroNews and the Bulgarian National TV. It is entitled "Nice to meet you" and is based on the idea of meeting new people: on the Web, in the park, in the theatre, in the tube.