Bulgaria, Romania Join EU

(Sofia/Bucharest) Millions of new EU citizens broke out party hats and noisemakers yesterday as Bulgaria and Romania became members of the European Union. Thirty million new citizens were added to the EU's bloc of 460 million.

Unfortunately, both countries are very poor with gross domestic product figures only a third of the rest of the European bloc so their inclusion adds only slightly to the industrial engine of the EU. However, with many barriers to trade and economic expansion lifted, significant growth in the former-Soviet satellites is foreseen.

Interestingly, other EU nations, particularly Britain, are preparing for an influx of Bulgarian and Romania migrants. By the same token, some citizens from Old Europe will be traveling to the two new EU states, some staying as property owners. Cheap Bulgarian and Romanian land prices are drawing buyers.

Notably, there will be an increase of one million new Muslim EU citizens, taking Europe's Muslim population to 16 million, about 3.25 percent of the EU's total population.

With the inclusion of Bulgaria and Romania, the European Union now has 27 member states and also now borders the Black Sea on the east. Europe's leaders foresee eventual membership for Turkey, Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia but no timetable has been established.