Brussels, 11/12/2002 (Agence Europe) - In the run up to the European Council in Copenhagen and the Summit of the European People's Party, the president of the EPP-ED Group at the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, above all called upon the Danish Presidency to make the "greatest of efforts" to ensure Poland becomes a member of the EU. It would be unthinkable to conclude membership talks without Poland, he said.
The CDU member, moreover, hopes this "historic" summit will not become "a summit on Turkey". According to his group, Mr Pöttering repeated, the time has not come to set a date for beginning accession talks with Ankara. He felt it would only be possible to talk of opening negotiations once the political criteria are met.