In an official statement on the governmental program for the Bulgarian presidency of the Council of EU, the parliament in Sofia said that the main priority of the presidency should be the adoption of a document for the Western Balkans confirming the EU's political will for inclusion of the countries in the region.

MEPs recommended that the government, when adopting its final program, should also take into account priorities such as maintaining Cohesion Policy, strengthening the Common Agricultural Policy and agreement for completion of reforms in the Common European Asylum System.

The Parliament also urged the government to bring forward the fight against organized crime and terrorism as well as the adoption of a new legal framework for the functioning of the Schengen Information System.