Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union approximately 12 years after submitting their membership applications.

Omissions

• The claim groups Romania and Bulgaria together as if they had identical timelines, but Romania's application-to-accession period (≈11.5 years) was about half a year longer than Bulgaria's (≈11 years).
• The MEP did not cite any source for the claim, though the application and accession dates are well-documented in official EU records.
• The claim uses an imprecise 'approximately 12 years' which rounds up from the actual ~11–11.5 year range.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Parliament — Report on Romania's Application for MembershipRomania's application for membership of the European Union, tabled on 22 June 1995.
• PrimaryEuropean Commission — Press Release: Two new members join the EU familyBulgaria and Romania applied for EU membership in 1995 and both countries started their accession negotiations in February 2000. [...] Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU on 1 January 2007.
• PrimaryRomanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Chronology of Romania-EU relationsJune 1995: Romania presents the official application for EU membership. [...] Romania became a Member State of the European Union on 1 January 2007.
• SecondaryEuropean Parliament — Briefing: Bulgaria and the Enlargement of the European UnionBulgaria applied for membership of the European Union on 18 December 1995.