The President of the European Court of Justice congratulated Bulgaria on its Presidency priorities
23 March 2018 News"You have chosen very well your presidency priorities, and they are important to all institutions in the European Union." These were the words the President of the European Union Court of Justice, Baron Koen Lenaerts, addressed to his host, Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ekaterina Zaharieva.
Minister Zaharieva responded that the European future of the Western Balkans is a long-term political commitment of the Bulgarian government, supported at the European level by the recently announced EU strategy for the Western Balkans.
"The strategy is ambitious and comprehensive and I am proud that it was first discussed in February during the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers here in Sofia," she added.
Furthermore, the Western Balkans are important for the security of the entire continent. "No one in the rest of Europe understands the region as well as we do, and as part of the big family, we support the European outlook for the Western Balkans because we want the best for everyone in the family," she said.
Zaharieva emphasised how important the moment of the Bulgarian EU Council Presidency is on account of the great expectations that have been created in respect of the European future of the Western Balkan countries. "If we fail to produce a concrete action plan now, this might lead to disappointment, especially among the Western Balkan people," she argued.
Professor Lenaerts added that the natural place of the Western Balkans is in Europe. "It is therefore unforgivable to allow third countries to intervene out there," he said. As a good first step, he pointed out that the legal systems of these countries are already realigning themselves with the European legal practice.
Lenaerts also presented some Court of Justice decisions to Zaharieva. With examples from the Court's recent practice, Lenaerts illustrated how the institution has shown its trust in the member states' legal systems. "The same applies to the Bulgarian legal system," he said.
He used another example to illustrate the Brexit-related challenges facing the European Court of Justice.
"Such cases pose challenges to the unity of European citizens that we must protect," he said, and thanked the Bulgarian Presidency for managing to maintain the unity of the 27 EU member states in the context of Brexit negotiations.
Earlier in the day, the Sofia University Professor awarded a degree of Doctor Honoris Causa to Dr. Lenaerts.