Brussels, 27/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - Friday, the first accession negotiation meetings under the Belgian Presidency of the EU were held at "Deputy-level" (the next will take place end-October), with the following results:
Cyprus closed the "environment" chapter, which takes its total number of chapters closed to 23 out of a total of 31 to be negotiated. Cyprus thus takes the lead of the candidate countries in the number of chapters closed. Cypriot negotiator, George Vassiliou, stressed the importance his country attached to the closure of the "environment" chapter, "as a good quality environment is essential for a country like ours that depends of tourism a great deal". Asked by the press about the chances of reaching a political settlement to the problem of the division of the island by the end of negotiations, Mr. Vassilou said that he had had indications by which the Turkish government had recently asked the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to resume negotiations under the auspices of the UN. But, Vassilou stressed, not only was it important that Turkish Cypriots return to the negotiating table, but they must also come with a constructive spirit and the will to reach a solution.
Poland closed the "energy" chapter, taking the total number of chapters closed to 17. Jan Kulakowski, Polish negotiator, said he was satisfied with this closure, but also expressed a certain bitterness at that fact that, according to him, the changes that Poland recently made to its negotiating positions on the environment, tax and transport had remained unanswered on the EU's side. "We hope that the Belgian Presidency will manage to draw up EU positions in time to allow for these chapters to be closed as quickly as possible", said Kulakowski. Regarding the free movement of persons, Poland still considers that no restriction will be necessary following its accession, but will present its official response to the EU's common position (maximum seven-year transitional period) in the autumn, following the 21 September elections. Mr Kulakowski said he was convinced that if a new government should take power after the elections (everything indicates that this will be the case), he will continue the policy of European integration and the accession negotiations "in continuity", or even by accelerating things;
Slovenia the closing of the negotiations over the 21st Chapter, that covering customs union, thus confirms its position as one of the most advanced candidates in the negotiations and the best prepared for accession. We are now certain that we are ready to finish the negotiations next year and accede in 2004, told the press the chief Slovenian negotiator, Janez Potocnik. The date of 2004 for accession is entirely realistic, he insisted;
Bulgaria was able to close negotiations over the free movement of capital chapter, and open the talks over "fiscal policy" and the "environment". The total number of closed chapters is now 11. The change in government in Bulgaria and the new dynamism promised by the Prime Minister should also have a positive impact on the country's accession negotiations, felt the chief negotiator, Vladimir Kissiov. In this context, he did not dismiss the possibility for Bulgaria of reviewing its internal timetable, and to aim for the closure of negotiations in 2003, which would allow for an accession by the country in 2004, said Mr Kissiov. Until now, the official target date for Bulgarian accession was 1 January 2007;
Romania closed the consumer protection chapter. Total number of closed chapter: 8;
Hungary continued the negotiations over the justice and home affairs chapter for which - for the first time - the EU presented a complete common position.
Following the meetings, the Belgian Ambassador to the EU and acting President of the Coreper, Frans van Daele, underlined that the holding of the first negotiation meetings as of the beginning of the Presidency, illustrates well Belgium's firm intention to maintain a fast pace in the negotiations, while fully respecting the roadmap. The fact that not all the candidates had negotiation sessions on Friday (as the preparatory works had not been sufficiently advanced to have them) demonstrated the importance that the Presidency attaches to the principal of differentiation and the "quality" of the works.