Brussels, 31/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - After lengthy bargaining, Coreper finally agreed on common EU negotiating positions for the chapters on the free movement of persons and the free movement of capital, which will be formally presented to the most advanced candidates on 1 June, during negotiating sessions at deputy level (with Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Estonia, Slovenia and Malta). The agreement on the free movement of persons was made possible by the decision of the Spanish government to renounce making its agreement depend on the proposal for a common position for a political guarantee on continued regional aid after enlargement. On Thursday, the Fifteen continued their work (on the basis of a Swedish compromise proposal) on a political declaration that should take the Spanish fears into account, but this question is now entirely separate from the continuation of accession talks on the free movement of workers or capital.
The dossier on the free movement of capital was unblocked on Thursday after France had withdrawn its reservation. Through the passage introduced in the EU common position on this chapter, France gained satisfaction regarding its request to be able to come back to the capitals chapter if necessary in the context of the transitional periods granted for the acquisition of farming land. In its common position, the EU agrees in fact that the candidates that so wish may ban the acquisition of farming land and forestry land by Community citizens during a maximum of seven years after accession, as well as the acquisition of secondary residencies during five years at most.
Although the negotiating positions of the Fifteen on persons and capital should be simply discussed on Friday, other chapters will be closed, mainly: environment with Hungary, the Czech Republic and Estonia, social policy with Poland and the Czech Republic, and cultural/audiovisual policy and external relations with Slovenia.