The European Commission sent the message everyone expected to Romania and Bulgaria: the progress in their anti-graft campaigns is insufficient and sanctions are to be expected in the future, unless the two countries fulfill all the required criteria, Reuters informs.

The monitoring report was adopted by the EC officials, but the officials warned the Romanian authorities that it's not a good time to indulge in the situation.

EC representatives say it is to early to decide on whether penalties should be imposed or completely dropped. The Justice reforms in Romania were acknowledged, as well as the progress in creating the National Integrity Agency, an institution designed to check on dignitaries' wealth.

The report criticized Bulgaria for the lack of results in fighting the organized crime. Assassinations are a major concern, especially since it came to local politicians killed after Bulgaria's accession to the EU. "Not on trial, not one sentence in these cases", the report reads.

The European Commission was mandated to put up a monitoring report every six months, surveying the way the two countries manage to fulfill the accession treaty criteria.

In case the future reports aren't favorable in areas such as regional funds absorption and agriculture subsidies, the aid approved in Brussels may diminish.

Although the general picture in the two countries isn't satisfactory, European officials admitted that Bulgaria fulfilled one of the established criteria, in modifying the Constitution so that the independence and juridical responsibility are ensured.