| dc.description.abstract | Bulgaria, by its geopolitical situation in South-East Europe, constitutes an interface between the European Union (EU) and Balkan as well as Black Sea regions. After the fall of the Berlin wall and the emergence of a democratic regime, Bulgaria very soon established diplomatic relations with the EU in 1989. In 1990, it signed a Trade and Co-operation Agreement with the EU. In 1993, a far-reaching Association Agreement called “Europe Agreement” which already indicated Bulgaria's goal of becoming a member of the EU. This agreement, which created a free trade zone between Bulgaria and the Member States, was already part of the strategy of the EU to prepare Bulgaria for accession, which also included substantial financial and technical assistance. In 1993 in Copenhagen, the Member States decided that associated countries in Central and Eastern Europe that so desired could become members of the European Union once they met the necessary economic and political conditions. This led Bulgaria to submit, in 1995, its application for membership. Accession negotiations were opened in February 2000 together with Romania and with several other countries which joined the Union in 2004. This is why Bulgaria is part of the fifth enlargement process that successfully brought ten countries into the EU in May 2004. Bulgaria’s accession process contributes to secure democracy, stability and economic development in Europe. This is in line with the fundamental aims of the European project to make Europe a place of peace and prosperity and to overcome the divisions of the past. |
