If all the preparations go to plan, Bulgaria is due to join the European Union (EU) on 1 January next year, having applied for EU membership back in 1995. Despite ongoing reservations over the transparency and efficiency of the judicial system, the country’s accession looks set to go ahead, with conditions – the threat of reduced funding is expected to be used as a tool to ensure convergence with the EU’s standards for membership.
Despite a population of just 7.3 million, the country’s imminent membership of the EU has meant international firms including DLA Piper, which launched in Bulgaria last month with an eight-lawyer office, are beginning to invest in Sofia.
