Bulgaria is expecting a "positive" annual post-EU accession monitoring report from the European Commission in July, according to Justice Minister Margarita Popova.

Popova spoke Tuesday at a conference dedicated to a survey of civilian observation to 20 courts in Northern Bulgaria; she pointed out that the EC monitoring experts who visited Bulgaria recently criticized the work of the Supreme Judicial Council (VSS), the vastly troubled supreme institution of the Bulgarian judiciary, and its relations with local magistrates.

However, the Justice Minister expressed confidence that Bulgaria will get a positive EC assessment in the field of judiciary and home affairs under the so called Cooperation and Verification Mechanism monitoring Bulgaria's progress in problem areas after its EU accession.

"The report will be good, there is no doubt about that. Since it is the annual report, it differs from the interim report in February in that it will provide a more in-depth picture of all sectors of the judicial system in Bulgaria. The EC is just going to make one more remark after the interim report that the courts and prosecutors must think more seriously about the quality of law enforcement on the local level," Popova said.

She described talk of possible early elections as "not serious", and said she is against the holding of early elections because this would affect the continuity of judicial reform.

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