The mechanism was introduced by the EC when the two countries joined the EU to assess their progress towards meeting their judicial reform and anti-corruption commitments, and in Bulgaria's case, in fighting organised crime.
Mehanizam je uvela EK kada su se dve zemlje pridružile EU, kako bi se pratio njihov napredak ka ispunjavanju obaveza vezanih za pravosudne reforme i borbu protiv korupcije, i, u slučaju Bugarske, borbe protiv organizovanog kriminala.