Brussels, 17/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - In the enlargement report it will be publishing on 9 October, the Commission will say Yes or No to Cyprus joining the European Union, and will not propose a waiting period of several months, said Commissioner Verheugen's spokesperson on Tuesday. On 9 October, the European Commission will unveil the list of countries it considers ready to join the European Union (see yesterday's Europe, p.8) and the EU will endorse the final list at the 24/25 October Brussels Summit. It is highly likely that there will be ten countries on the list - Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, Malta and Cyprus.
Cyprus is one of the countries that has made the most progress in accession negotiations, led by the Greek Cypriot government (the only one recognised by the international
community. But the stalling in talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots in finding a solution to the island's partition weighs like a Sword of Damocles on the prospects for accession. The Fifteen have always encouraged both parties to find a solution but assuring, at Greece's request, that this was not a precondition for membership. A "European diplomat" quoted by Reuters Tuesday said that, according to him, it would be wise to postpone the decision on Cyprus so as not to block negotiations and not to poison the political debate in Turkey a few days from the early legislative elections of 3 November. "There will be a report on Cyprus as for the others, the treatment will be no different", declared the spokesperson for Commissioner Verheugen, denying any intention of proposing a delay.
In the conclusions of the European Council of Helsinki on 10 and 11 December, the Fifteen stated that "the European Council stresses that a political settlement will facilitate Cyprus' accession to the European Union. If there is no settlement by the time accession negotiations are completed, the Council's decision relating to accession will be taken without what precedes being a precondition. In taking its decision, the Council will take account of all relevant elements".