The Czech Republic appreciates that the European Council in Nice gave a political blessing to a scenario for stipulating parameters of expanding the Union. But ESP remains a minimal programme. I think it is crucial at present for the ESP to be progressively implemented and to move on in negotiations further. As a next step, the summit of G teborg could set a date when the accession negotiations could be completed with the most advanced candidate countries and then, the summit of Laeken, Brussels, could select these countries specifically. As the European Council has repeatedly stressed, every candidate country should be evaluated on its own merits.
Reform is the only entry ticket.
In order to contribute to the acceleration of the accession talks, the Czech Republic has recently revised its stock of open negotiating chapters and has withdrew several requests for transitional periods. This decision was based on our two-year long experience from the negotiating process, on the legislative progress achieved on the home front and also on the economic restructuring. Some requests for transitional periods became obsolete, for example one dealing with the energy market became out of date when the Czech Parliament passed a law which speeded up the liberalisation of this market. Other positive development could be noted in cases where our interpretations proved to be stricter then those of the current Member States which was acknowledged also in the technical consultation with the Commission. Examples revolve around important chapters like Social Policy and Environment.