The European Commission gathers today to vote a recommendation on the date of Romania and Bulgaria’s EU accession. The suspense is huge among Romanian media as the Commission signaled its plan not to reveal any date until when Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn presents the recommendation in the European Parliament.

Also in the newspapers today, the guilty are searched for in the bird flu crisis, while some dig for hidden facts behind President Basescu’s recent surgical intervention in Vienna.

Cotidianul discusses an informative note circulated among EU officials and seen by Reuters, that says a final decision on the date of accession for Romania and Bulgaria will come in early autumn.

But the newspaper quotes one official who also participated to the debates yesterday, who said, also for Reuters, that 2007 remains a feasible plan for both countries.

According to the same newspaper, quoting a France Presse report, there were 90% chances that the report due today would recommend the accession on January 2007, but under several conditions related to the necessary progress the two countries have to report by October 2006.

Other officials quoted by Cotidianul say the task will be harder for Bulgaria where “reforms have gone to sleep”.

Also in Cotidianul, the coming report has caught the leaders of the governing coalition making nice to show unity for the cameras, but kicking each other behind the desk in another Liberal outburst against Democrat Emil Boc.

Liberal leader Calin Popescu Tariceanu, the prime minister, attacked Boc for his statements this past weekend when he said he hoped not to be forced by Liberals to vote against government decisions.

For its part, Evenimentul Zilei makes a difference between the optimism of Bucharest officials before the EC report today and the revelations by Reuters that the two countries may receive a date for accession only in autumn. According to the newspaper, EU commissioners had not finished the text on Monday night.

And Adevarul makes the difference between the “good news” of up to yesterday afternoon, that were replaced by the bad news brought by Reuters later. The newspaper insists, however, that everything will be decided for good this morning.

The media, meanwhile, keeps a watchful eye on the evolution of the new bird flu crisis sparked by the news that infected chicken might be on sale in 13 Romanian counties.

According to Cotidianul, the chain of people who should bear responsibility for the situation starts with the “irresponsible” owner of the farm that distributed the chicken without the necessary veterinary approval.

And Evenimentul Zilei reports new cases were confirmed in the counties of Brasov, Covasna and Vrancea yesterday, while in Bucharest inspectors stopped 12 tons of chicken from sale and will test them to see whether the birds were infected with the H5 virus.

The situation is especially dramatic in the Bucharest hypermarkets such as Cora and Kaufland, which were forced to withdraw much of the chicken meat on sale after they learned of the new bird flu outburst.

Meanwhile, President Basescu stays physically away from all this as he remains in the Vienna clinic where he underwent a surgical intervention for hernia last week.

But he’s not forgotten by the Bucharest media as Adevarul reveals that his surgical intervention insurance was provided by Asirom, a company controlled by controversial businessman Ioan Nicolae, currently under investigation by anti-corruption prosecutors.

And Evenimentul Zilei hints the President has something to talk about with his doctors, besides hernia.

According to the newspaper, Dr. Engelbert Knosp who led the surgery team, is a “amateur sailor” who likes to roam the Mediterranean Sea – just as President Basescu was the captain of Romania’s flagship “Biruinta” before the fall of the Communist regime.