Europeanization through Conditionality? Bulgaria and Romania in the EU Accession Process

Abstract: If things go as planned, the EU will have two new member states in January 2007: Bulgaria and Romania. They were excluded from the 2004 enlargement because they were simply lagging behind the other candidates and would not have been able to meet the conditionality. The Copenhagen conditions consist of a political, an economic, and an administrative criteria that need to be fulfilled in order to gain membership. This thesis investigates the Europeanization process that is taking place in Bulgaria and Romania as a result of these conditions. By looking at the five mechanisms given by Heather Grabbe, the complexity and deep involvement of the EU in domestic politics and policy-making become evident, as well as the sometimes heavy burden of reform that lays upon the candidate states. By contrasting the two countries, the weak administrative capacity left from the communist regime of Romania is exposed, but also the challenges for Bulgaria to take on if EU membership will become a reality next year.