The government adopted the National Programme for Adoption of the Acquis Communautaire (NPAA) 2021-2025, which has been reconstructed to be in accordance with the revised methodology of accession negotiations, announced Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Nikola Dimitrov at a news conference Wednesday.
A EU member country, Bulgaria, can veto the opening of negotiations, the adoption of the negotiating framework and the first intergovernmental conference, however, no one can veto the reform agenda at home, he said.
“Europeanisation must go on,” Dimitrov vowed.
The NPAA will be presented in Parliament soon.
“We have to demonstrate we have stable democracy and prove we won’t change the orientation and dynamic before every election,” Dimitrov said.
NPAA defines the strategic direction, priorities, dynamic and the needed resources and activities for national institutions to adapt to European administrative structures. Nearly 800 civil servants from over 150 state institutions were involved to prepare the document.
“NPAA’s key objective is to lay out the national trajectory for full-fledged membership into the EU. NPAA’s political message and weight far exceeds the document itself. The 2021-2025 programme aims to show we are oriented to Europeanisation of the country by lifting obstacles and we know exactly what we are doing. Secondly, we’re demonstrating we are seriously committed to our intention to change. Thirdly, we showcase capacity, capability and trust in our own institutions, and fourthly, we’re projecting a vision and political horizon beyond the coming elections,” elaborated Dimitrov.
The first NPAA was adopted in 2005/2006. Since then, it is being revised on regular basis. The latest revision was done in 2017.
“NPAA’s current revision is very different from all the previous ones. First of all, because the EU countries in March 2020 decided to approve the opening of accession negotiations. It is expected the country to have bigger ambitions and to adopt well-defined strategic goals. Secondly, the process in the future will be implemented according to the rules of the new methodology for strengthened accession negotiations. Thirdly, this is the first time NPAA is fully reconstructed according to the new structure of clusters,” the Deputy PM told the news conference presenting the key document.
According to him, the NPAA will be upgraded with the first significant revision likely to take place after the bilateral screening.
NPAA includes chapters in six clusters i.e. strategic areas, namely democracy and good governance (cluster 1), internal market (cluster 2), competitiveness and inclusive growth (cluster 3), green agenda and sustainable connectivity (cluster 4), agriculture, resources and cohesion (cluster 5) and external relations (cluster 6).
