Sources in the European Commission declared on Thursday in Brussels that “applying the safeguarding clauses for Justice and Interior Affairs for Romania and Bulgaria will be a political, nor a juridical decision”. “Juridically speaking, the reforms were insufficient and unconvincing”, the sources said.

EC already sent teams of experts to evaluate the field situation, while the Romanian government put up a report with its latest measures in the anti-graft campaign, including the latest modifications in the law for forming a National Integrity Agency (ANI - a body enabled to check on dignitaries’ wealth).

The Government’s report on May 25 was the last one until the June 27 session of the European Commission, when a decision on whether to apply or not safeguarding clauses will be taken.

Although it was supposed that Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini has a major role in the decision, sources say that the main factor will be Jose Manuel Barosso, head of the EC, given the fact that “it’s a political decision, and Frattini is simply a fa?ade”.

Same sources say that an important role is to be played by the EC secretary general, Catherine Day, who presents Barosso his daily agenda.

European officials claim that Romania and Bulgaria will be analyzed separately, although some fear existed that the two will be seen “as one”.