Strasbourg, 13/11/2001 (Agence Europe) - Progress made over the past twelve months in the enlargement process has been "positive and encouraging" since the preparatory work carried out by the candidate countries and the speed of the accession negotiations "provides a sufficient basis for the accession of up to ten new Member States in 2004" (with the exception of Bulgaria and Romania) in time for the next European elections. This is the largely optimistic stance taken by Enlargement Commissioner Günter Verheugen when presenting the European Parliament on Tuesday with the Regular Reports (annual reports) on the ten Central and Eastern European countries, Cyprus, Malta and Turkey; along with the now traditional "Strategy Paper" in which the Commission outlines and explains the basic principles and next stages in the enlargement procedure. He explained that the negotiation process was reaching its most difficult and politically challenging stage but the Commission was convinced that it could be carried out and respect the budget constraints and timetable (or "roadmaps") that had been approved at the end of 2000.
In its Strategy Paper (published on Tuesday and which will be discussed in detail - along with the Regular Reports - by the fifteen EU heads of state at the Brussels-Laeken Summit in December), the Commission reports on all key factors, laying particular emphasis on the fact that:
"All negotiating countries have made substantial progress over the last year in implementing the accession criteria" but the conditions for accession have not yet been met by any of the candidate countries.
The basic principles, road map and financial framework for 2000-2006 (laid down in 1999 as part of Agenda 2000) can and must be respected. "This framework provides a sufficient basis for the accession of up to ten new Member States in 2004", notes the Commission. The road map stipulates that the Union should be able to conclude the accession negotiations by the end of 2002 so the new countries can participate in the European elections in 2004 and the impetus created by the road map should be maintained, insists the report, which means that the EU will have to prepare to end negotiations by the end of 2002 with ten candidate countries (not including Bulgaria or Romania).
Chapters involving large spending (agriculture, regional policy and budget policy) will be discussed in the first half of 2002 and the negotiations will have to be concluded on the basis of existing "acquis" independent of any decisions on how the EU is to be funded after 2006. The Commission hopes to reassure candidate countries that future reforms of the CAP and regional policy will not have any direct impact on the negotiations and no new criteria will be set.
At the beginning of 2002, the Commission will make a detailed analysis (as part of a new Action Plan) on progress in setting up the necessary institutions and structures in the candidate countries for implementing and enforcing the acquis. The Commission will make progress reports to the Council by spring 2002, "so that they can be taken up in the single framework of the accession negotiations". By the time of the Seville European Council in June 2002, the Commission will report on its Action Plan and on the monitoring of commitments made by the candidate countries during the accession negotiations. The 2002 Regular Reports will examine which candidate countries will have adequate administrative capacity to implement and enforce the acquis by accession.
Regarding Cyprus, all the parties concerned should "take full advantage of the window of opportunity before the completion of the accession negotiations to achieve a settlement" to the division of the island. Mr Verheugen told MEPs that the Commission's strategy was for Cyprus to joint the EU as a reunited island. As the Commission's report puts it: "Provided the necessary political will is shown, a settlement reflecting the concerns of the respective parties is attainable through the process under the auspices of the United Nations." "The provisions of a political settlement can be accommodated within EU accession arrangements for Cyprus… As announced by the European Council in Helsinki, if a settlement has not been reached before the completion of the accession negotiations, the Council will take its decision on accession without this being a pre-condition".
By the end of 2001, "all elements of the pre-accession strategy for Turkey" (decided at Helsinki) will be in place and the next, more intense phase can start with the "detailed scrutiny of Turkey's legislation and preparation for alignment with the acquis. Turkey is encouraged to pursue the process of political and economic reform, in order to make further progress towards satisfying the Copenhagen criteria and the Accession Partnership priorities".
In the short term, Turkey should give priority to improving respect of human rights and to the creation of conditions suitable for economic growth and development.
The EU's information strategy on enlargement will be pursued with the assistance of the Member States and the European Parliament. "It is imperative that the historical process of re-unifying the European Continent is strongly rooted in the support of its people", said the Commission.
All (except Turkey) meet political criteria and have made progress (decisive or promising)
with view to meeting economic criteria and implementing acquis
As far as the respect of the various accession criteria is concerned, the strategic report and the different national reports note the following situation:
Political criteria. As already mentioned in the 2000 reports, all candidates negotiating (i.e. except Turkey which still does not meet the criteria set) meet the accession criteria (stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, primacy of law, human rights, respect of minorities' rights and the protection of minorities). The Commission nonetheless points a finger at reforms of the legal system that must be intensified and strengthened in almost all countries, as well as the fight against corruption. The "worrying" problem of the trade in women and children, for which several countries serve as a point of departure, transit or destination, must also be tackled with greater determination in the candidate countries as a whole. Turkey is invited to take the necessary measures to ensure implementation of the recently adopted constitutional reforms.
Economic criteria. Candidates have made considerable progress as far as economic criteria are concerned, as these, we know, require the existence of a viable market economy as well as an ability to face up to competitive pressure on the EU internal market. Thus, Cyprus and Malta confirmed that they were both viable market economies able to face up to competitive pressures within the EU. These are followed by the eight most advanced countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) for which the Commission confirms the existence of viable market economies. Unlike last year, the Commission this time is carefully avoiding any ranking of the candidates' economic performances, but nonetheless notes that "major economic differences" do exist between these countries. If they continue (and in some cases step up) the implementation of a certain number of measures set out in the various national reports, then these countries should, in the short term, be able to face up to competitive pressure and to the market forces within the EU, says the Commission. Bulgaria only just fails being recognised as a viable market economy, but should be able to face up to EU competition "in the medium term", on condition that it continues to implement and intensify the reforms underway. Romania, for its part, does not yet meet either of the two economic criteria, but has for the first time accomplished "decisive progress" towards achieving this aim. Turkey was not able to move forward towards a viable market economy mainly because of the "recent crisis".
Criteria relating to the candidates' ability to adopt and implement the EU body of law. Progress has been made towards adoption of the European legislation, as well as regarding improvement in the necessary administrative capacity, to ensure correct application and appropriate monitoring of the acquis. However, stresses the Commission, a substantial effort is still required in all candidate countries to ensure acquis is implemented at a satisfactory level. This is mainly true for the functioning of the internal market, sustainable living conditions, citizens' protection and the management of European funds and aid. In order to help candidates develop their administrative capacity, the Commission plans to launch an action programme in 2002 that is financed within the framework of the Phare programme and which will provide candidate countries with technical aid, training and assistance in programming and investment.
Next year will be the "decisive year" for EU enlargement, said Romano Prodi who addressed the plenary on Tuesday before Günter Verheugen. He welcomed the "incredible" progress made by the candidate countries. In a speech (to which we shall return), Mr Prodi asked Member States not to make enlargement contingent upon additional reforms and not to link it to the question of Union finances after 2006, as this would "change the rules".