Bulgarian Top Judge: EC CVM Report Cannot Change the Reality in Bulgaria

Brussels' report cannot change the reality and the judicial system in Bulgaria, but the co-operation and verification monitoring mechanism should remain in force, the Chair of Bulgaria’s Supreme Court of Cassation, Lozan Panov said commenting the latest CVM report on 16^th of November.

Acording to him, the report is more political than technical. He said that even though the CVM is failing to bring about results in Bulgaria, its removal may cause a rise of euroscepticism among Bulgarians, who trust the EU institutions more than they trust the national institutions.

According to Panov, the report is a step towards a future removal of the monitoring mechanism, not because the recommendations have been fulfilled but because this mechanism cannot produce the desired results. He commented that the report does not make new recommendations not because they are unnecessary but because, maybe, nobody has any illusions that they will be fulfilled.

He also said that the report was written in a way that will give Bulgaria a peace of mind during its Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2018.

"For ten years now, the diplomatic language that was used to verbalise the problems, has apparently been misunderstood by the addressees. I think that Bulgaria has not fulfilled the recommendations and has not met the criteria for normal judicial environment," Panov said.

source: BTA