Brussels, 15 September 2023 (dpa/MIA) - The European Commission on Friday has officially ended its monitoring of the judiciary and the rule of law in Bulgaria and Romania.

Both countries had carried out important reforms in recent years, said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The commission will however continue to regularly examine the state of the rule of law, as it does with all other EU countries, she said.

Since joining the EU in 2007, the judiciary and the rule of law in both countries have been under special scrutiny by Brussels due to rampant corruption and organized crime.

Because of these issues, fellow member countries could not yet unanimously agree to admit Bulgaria and Romania to the EU's Schengen area, where border checks are largely suspended.

The commission however has repeatedly stressed that both countries fulfil all requirements to join Schengen.

Photo: EPA