Among the conditions placed on Romania and Bulgaria regarding their pending full membership of the European Union are a number of goals relating to IP piracy and protection. The two Eastern European countries have been told they will achieve full membership status of the EU on the 1 Jan next year, but they have been warned they will face unprecedented sanctions if they fail to deliver in a number of areas of concern, including intellectual property.
European Commissioners are concerned about the number of CD and DVD manufacturing plants in the two countries who make pirated products, and also that the two country's Eastern borders will constitute the new borders of the EU, meaning their customs officials will be responsible for stopping the trafficking of pirated goods in and out of the Union, something said customs authorities are yet to prove they are capable of.
Overcoming those piracy related problems appears on a list of issues that the two countries must continue to tackle as members of the EU - other issues including organised crime, money laundering, and corruption in the political and judicial system.
The two countries have been warned that if they fail to reach these goals other EU member states would be at liberty to suspend their obligations to them, and that some of the EU funds that the two countries are desperate to receive could be held back.
Bulgaria is probably the greater concern regarding music piracy. The IFPI's most recent piracy report said that: "internet piracy in Bulgaria is rising sharply and physical piracy remains a serious problem with pirate CDs easily available in all the country's major cities. This widespread copyright crime is severely hampering the growth of the legitimate music industry in Bulgaria."