Brussels, 09/01/2003 (Agence Europe) - On 9 January in Brussels negotiations began in view of accession of the ten future new Member States of the EU to the European Economic Area (EEA). Accession of these countries - Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Malta and Cyprus - to the EEA (currently made up of the Fifteen plus Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland) will take effect the same day as their accession to the EU, or 1 May 2004.
The main subject of negotiations will be the future financial contribution of the three EEA countries non-members of the EU (Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland, the "EEA-EFTA countries") to the structural efforts necessary to attain economic and social cohesion in this single market soon to be enlarged to ten new countries. Given the additional costs the Fifteen will have to bear after EU enlargement, the three EEA-EFTA countries will also be invited to increase their financial contribution. Furthermore, such a hike is also justified by the extension of the single market to an additional 75 million consumers, which will also benefit Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland. "The huge potential of the enlarged single market would not be possible without financial support to allow less affluent countries to cope with the full force of free competition", stressed Chris Patten, Commissioner for External Relations. "It is only reasonable that all who benefit from that market, including Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland, should share the costs", he said.
Among the other subjects of negotiations (that should be completed by April) we find the question of whether the EEA-EFTA countries will apply the same transition periods as those granted by the Fifteen to the candidates after 1 May 2004.