Parliament approves Bulgaria and Romania for membership

With the European Parliament's vote to allow Bulgaria and Romania to join the EU in 2007, the last institutional hurdle to their memberships has been cleared.  While their membership is contingent on their meeting certain requirements for reform, their accession treaties will be signed later this month.  The Parliament did not clear the two countries without resistance.  MEPs were especially concerned about funding for the two nations, who will be the poorest memebers of the EU, and continuing problems with corruption and organized crime.  Still, the vote is an optimstic sign of Europe's confidence in its future.