EU – Bulgaria Negotiations
1. State of play of the negotiations
Bulgaria concluded technically the accession negotiations with EU on 15 June 2004.
| Chapter No. | Opening of the Negotiations | Preliminary Closure of the Negotiations |
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1 Free Movement of Goods
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17 May 2001
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10 June 2002
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2 Free Movement of Persons
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26 October 2001
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10 June 2002
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3 Freedom to Provide Services
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30 March 2001
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28 November 2001
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4 Free Movement of Capital
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16 November 2000
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27 July 2001
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5 Company Law
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16 November 2000
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11 June 2001
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6 Competition Policy
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30 March 2001
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15 June 2004
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7 Agriculture
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21 March 2002
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4 June 2004
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8 Fisheries
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30 March 2001
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11 June 2001
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9 Transport Policy
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11 June 2001
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2 June 2003
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10 Taxation
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27 July 2001
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10 June 2002
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11 Economic and MonetaryUnion
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21 March 2002
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22 April 2002
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12 Statistics
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24 October 2000
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20 November 2000
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13 Employment and Social Policy
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26 October 2001
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22 April 2002
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14 Energy
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28 November 2001
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18 November 2002
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15 Industrial Policy
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21 December 2001
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21 December 2001
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16 Small and Medium-Size Enterprises
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28 March 2000
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14 June 2000
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17 Science and Research
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28 March 2000
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14 June 2000
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18 Education and Training
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28 March 2000
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14 June 2000
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19 Telecommunication, Information Technologies and Postal Services
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24 October 2000
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26 October 2001
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20 Culture and Audio-Visual Policy
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28 March 2000
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20 November 2000
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21 Regional Policy and Co-ordination
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28 November 2001
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4 June 2004
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22 Environment
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27 July 2001
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30 June 2003
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23 Consumers and Health Protection
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24 October 2000
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20 November 2000
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24 Justice and Home Affairs
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27 June 2001
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29 October 2003
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25 Customs Union
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11 June 2001
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29 July 2002
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26 External Relations
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28 March 2000
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20 November 2000
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27 Common Foreign and Security Policy
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28 March 2000
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14 June 2000
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28 Financial Control
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17 May 2001
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1 October 2002
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29 Finance and Budgetary Provisions
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28 November 2001
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4 June 2004
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30 Institutions
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22 April 2002
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22 April 2002
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31 Other issues
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15 June 2004
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15 June 2004
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Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Bulgaria
Organisation of negotiations
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Organisation of negotiations by the EU
The negotiations are held in the form of Intergovernmental Conferences of EU member states with the candidate countries. The negotiation sessions are held at the level of Ministers or Deputy Ministers, i.e. Permanent Representatives of the member states and Ambassadors or Chief Negotiators for the candidate countries.
The organization of the negotiations at the Intergovernmental Conference follows the usual practice of bilateral relations, at which every delegation has a leader. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria is the Head of the Bulgarian Delegation, and the Foreign Affairs Minister of the country, which holds the EU Presidency, is the Head of the EU member countries' Delegation.
On the European Union side, the 27 Member States are the parties to the accession negotiations. The European Commission proposes the common draft negotiating positions. The Presidency of the Council of Ministers, which rotates among the member states every six months, presents the negotiating positions agreed by the Council and chairs negotiating sessions.
Each applicant country draws up its position on each of the 31 chapters of the EU acquis, to engage in negotiations.
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Organisation of negotiations byBulgaria
Bulgaria has set up appropriate structures to accommodate the negotiations. The nature of these structures is illustrated on the scheme
Source:Council of Ministers, Bulgaria
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