A4-0368/97

Resolution on the Communication from the Commission 'Agenda 2000 - for a stronger and wider Union' (COM(97)2000 - C4-0371/97)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission communication (COM(97)2000 - C4-0371/97) ((C4-0373/97, C4-0374/97, C4-0375/97, C4-0376/97, C4-0377/97, C4-0378/97, C4-0379/97, C4-0380/97, C4-0381/97, C4-0382/97, C4-0583/97.)),

- having regard to the conclusions of the European Councils of Copenhagen (21- 22 June 1993), Essen (9-10 December 1994) and Madrid (15-16 December 1995),

- having regard to the conclusions of the European Council of Florence in June 1996 that accession negotiations with Cyprus should start six months after the conclusion of the intergovernmental conference,

- having regard to the European Council of Amsterdam in June 1997 which concluded that with the successful conclusion of the intergovernmental conference the way is now open for the launching of the enlargement process in accordance with the conclusions of the Madrid European Council,

- having regard to its resolution of 20 January 1993 on the structure and strategy for the European Union with regard to its enlargement and the creation of a Europe-wide order ((OJ C 42, 15.2.1993, p. 124.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 12 July 1995 on Cyprus's request for membership of the European Union ((OJ C 249, 25.9.1995, p. 74.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 17 April 1996 on the White Paper: 'Preparing the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe for integration into the internal market of the Union' ((OJ C 141, 13.5.1996, p. 135.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 19 November 1997 on the Amsterdam Treaty ((Minutes of that sitting, Part II, Item 20.)),

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy, and the opinions of Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy, the Committee on Research, Technological Development and Energy, the Committee on External Economic Relations, the Committee on Legal Affairs and Citizens' Rights, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, the Committee on Regional Policy, the Committee on Transport and Tourism, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection, the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media, the Committee on Development and Cooperation, the Committee on Civil Liberties and Internal Affairs, the Committee on Institutional Affairs, the Committee on Budgetary Control, Committee on Fisheries and the Committee on Women's Rights (A4-0368/97).

A. whereas any country which is situated in Europe and which has democratic institutions can legitimately aspire to join the Union,

B. whereas enlargement is a moral, political and economic challenge for the EU and presents an historic opportunity to shape the future of Europe,

C. whereas enlargement is a response to the changes that have taken place on the European continent since the largely peaceful liberation of Central and Eastern Europe between 1989 and 1991,

D. whereas a well-functioning Union, reinforced by the enlargement rather than weakened, is in the interest of both the applicant countries and the current Member States, and is expected to lay the foundations for a broader Communitarian Europe based on the rule of law, democracy, peace, solidarity and human dignity,

E. taking into account the Commission's assessment of the result of the Amsterdam European Council in 1997, bearing in mind the need to reform the institutions of the Union before enlargement takes place,

F. whereas, in any event, accession to the European Union is possible only after the institutional reform of the European Union,

G. convinced that the enlargement of the EU must be considered and handled as part of an overall design for the task of European integration,

H. whereas the European Council of Copenhagen in 1993 stipulated that applicant countries must have:

a) stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities,

b) a functioning market economy,

c) the capacity to cope with competitive pressures and market forces within the Union,

d) the ability to take on the obligations of membership, which are related to the acquis, including adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union,

I. whereas the European Council at its Madrid summit in 1995 called on the Commission to submit, as soon as possible after the intergovernmental conference, the opinions on the individual applications and to prepare a composite paper on enlargement,

J. noting that according to Agenda 2000 the process leading to accession will start simultaneously for all applicants within the framework of the Reinforced Accession Partnerships,

K. insisting that an inclusive enlargement strategy, implying the involvement of all applicants in the accession process, is essential to avoid negative side-effects in certain applicant countries,

L. aware of the complexity of the accession process in which several types of negotiations will take place: bilateral negotiations about the way in which the criteria of membership can be met (RAP negotiations), leading to negotiations on the specific constitutional place of the country in the EU, as well as on transition measures and other similar issues, and multilateral talks on common interests in the sectors of the Second and Third Pillars,

M. taking account of the Commission's view that enlargement is an opportunity for the Union not only in terms of its security and economy but also in terms of its culture and that the multilateral talks should concern a common vision of the educational, cultural and information dimension of European integration,

N. noting that, according to the opinion of the Commission, all Central and Eastern European countries, with the exception of - for the time being - the Slovak Republic, fulfil the political criteria of democracy to a sufficient degree,

O. noting the Commission remarks that none of the applicant Central and Eastern European countries at present fulfils the economic criteria of 'Copenhagen', thus acknowledging the logic of all applicant countries participating in the Reinforced Accession Partnership,

P. aware of the measures being taken in the applicant countries to improve the capacity and quality of the administrative procedures in the public sector and stressing the need for continued improvement which could be further advanced through an overall strategy in the applicant country as well as in the EU,

Q. taking account of the Commission's view that, given the highly developed and complex character of the internal market, accession must be based on principles like full respect of the acquis, no 'opt-outs' and no derogations, and the restriction of transition measures to duly justified cases for limited periods of time,

R. taking account of the Commission's view that the decision to open negotiations with Cyprus should be seen as a positive development which could promote the search for a political settlement,

S. taking account of the opinion of the Commission that Turkey is of high importance to the EU and deserves special attention, but reminding Turkey of Parliament's expectation of visible progress in improving human rights, democratic reform, in the treatment of the Turkish Kurds and in finding a solution to the continuing occupation of the north of Cyprus,

T. aware of the gaps in the knowledge of the citizens of the Central and Eastern European countries concerning European integration and the operation of the European Union, and the similar lack of information in the European Union about the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the consequences of enlargement to the east,

U. conscious of the importance of involving all sectors of society in the European Union and the applicant countries, as much as possible, in the process of enlargement and integration,

V. convinced that reform of the common agricultural policy (specifically in those sectors that were excluded from the 1992 reform) and of the regional and cohesion policy is imperative, independently of the accession of one or more new member states,

W. stressing that enlargement to include the 11 applicant countries will bring about a considerable increase in the Union's agricultural potential and will extend the market in raw and processed produce to an additional 100 million consumers;

X. whereas the devising and implementing of major projects on a European scale in the field of infrastructure, land, sea and air communication routes, regional development, environmental protection, etc., could be facilitated by the enlargement of the Union to include the applicant countries,

Y. convinced that European integration and the forthcoming enlargement will only succeed if the issue of reconciling respect for national interests with the need for solidarity amongst the Member States, whether old or new, is successfully resolved,

Z. whereas enlargement could constitute a major opportunity for the Union, in so far as it will enhance its political and economic potential, offer the 15 Member States the chance to secure new trade outlets, increase the Union's weight in the field of foreign relations and in international institutions, strengthen its position on the international markets and extend its own internal market for trade in goods and investments, and encourage the creation of new jobs,

AA. whereas in view of the levels of democratic and economic development of the applicant countries and the economic, social, strategic and political challenges of enlargement, the forthcoming enlargement will be an event of historic scope which is not comparable with previous enlargements,

AB. believing that given the requisite political will, the end result of the process will be a stronger Union within a more stable Europe, better able to discharge its duties towards its citizens and take up its responsibilities in the international community,

AC. whereas the decision taken by the Commission to preselect the countries that in the medium run would be able to take on the obligations relating to their membership of the European Union is appropriate neither in political terms, since a further break is thus created between the applicant countries, nor in economic terms, since it penalizes the capacity for attracting direct foreign investment of those central and eastern European countries' not taken into account, for economic reasons, when the accession negotiations began,

AD. whereas all the applicant countries have the right to participate in the enlargement process from the start, on the understanding that the duration of negotiations may vary subject to the ability of each country to accept the acquis communautaire and fully meet the criteria laid down at the Copenhagen European Council,

Enlargement strategy

1. Solemnly declares the European Union open to all European democracies that fulfil the criteria for membership, wishing to support its objectives as laid down in the Preamble to the 1957 Treaties of Rome, namely 'to lay the foundations of an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe and by thus pooling their resources to preserve and strengthen peace and liberty';

2. Considers the forthcoming enlargement of the European Union to be an entirely new stage in the process of the European integration requiring a thorough appraisal of all the institutional, political, economic and social implications for the Union and the applicant countries, and is convinced that this deepening can be enhanced by the full involvement of the national parliaments and the general public of all the countries concerned;

3. Asks the European Council to set in motion the enlargement process by a common act with all applicant countries; believes that all the applicant countries which do at present meet the criterion of a stable democratic order, respect for human rights and the protection of minorities laid down at Copenhagen, have the right to open the reinforced accession and negotiating process at the same time, and that this process should begin for all these countries early in 1998;

4. Believes, however, that the length of, and rate of progress in, negotiations could vary from country to country in terms of their ability to adopt the acquis communautaire, develop a market economy capable of facing the pressures of the single market, and equip themselves with stable institutions which respect the rule of law, democracy, human rights and the rights of minorities;

5. Furthermore, believes that the intensity of the negotiations and the timetable for their conclusion will depend upon the extent to which each applicant country fulfils the requirements for accession;

6. Therefore believes that intensive negotiations on an individual basis should begin with the countries which have made the most progress and - while noting some factual inaccuracies - supports the Commission's evaluations of which these countries presently are;

7. Maintains its view that the Union should neither directly nor indirectly determine in advance the date of full membership, as this date depends on the efforts made by the applicant countries;

8. Considers that the enlargement strategy should conform to the following principles:

(a) the aim of the European Union in this process is to enable all the applicant countries to meet the Copenhagen criteria and accede to the Union in the shortest achievable timescale,

(b) it should therefore begin from an encouraging stance toward the applicants, acknowledging their moral right to enter the Union, yet continuing to insist on fulfilment of the Copenhagen criteria and so feeding the dynamism of the accession process,

(c) the invitation to participate in the Reinforced Accession Partnerships should provide the political commitment to the membership of those applicant countries which seek to fulfil the Copenhagen criteria, and should be considered as the common starting line of the accession process as proposed in Agenda 2000,

(d) the preparations for membership should include all Central and Eastern European countries on the basis of equal treatment, while acknowledging the vast differences in the state and speed of development which determine the type of topics to be handled,

(e) the annual assessments should underline the flexibility of the rank order of the applicant countries, which depends on the results attained and should not be considered as a static fact,

(f) the progress of the candidate countries in human rights protection should be regularly monitored and included in the annual assessments that the Commission intends to issue;

9. Stresses the importance it attaches to progress in particular in the following areas, while acknowledging that improved respect for human rights and democratic principles is a continuing challenge for both current and future EU Member States:

- the ratification and implementation of legal human rights standards,

- the legal accountability of police, military and secret services,

- respect for the rights of minorities,

- the right to free speech, and the freedom of the media,

- the abolition of capital punishment, where applicable,

- the eradication of torture and ill-treatment,

- the acceptance of the principle of conscientious objection to military service,

- the acceptance and encouragement of the non-profit-making sector as an important partner in the task of continually improving respect for human rights;

10. States that only a country which has abolished the death penalty can become a member of the European Union;

11. Is convinced that regional cooperation among applicant countries should be encouraged and facilitated and that this should be seen as a positive step towards EU membership; is of the opinion that EU accession should not hinder existing processes of regional cooperation such as the one between the Baltic Republics, nor should existing regional cooperation be an obstacle for any applicant's membership;

12. Believes that an efficient and trustworthy public administration is a vital element in preparations for EU membership to strengthen the rule of law and economic and social cohesion, and that measures to improve the quality of public administration in all applicant countries must figure largely in the pre-accession strategy; supports with regard to the Reinforced Accession Partnerships the emphasis to be placed on education and training of civil servants and the accompanying financial facilities in order to increase the quality of government;

13. Calls on the applicant countries to establish efficient local, regional and national administrative structures under their constitutional systems, to encourage non-state sector operators at these levels and to improve financial control systems so that they can as future members make effective use of the Structural Funds and thereby reduce the enormous regional disparities and development problems;

14. Recalls that in the years to come the European Union has deadlines to meet, each one of which will constitute a challenge to European integration and will influence the others, namely the introduction of a single currency, the revision of the financial perspective and enlargement to include Cyprus and the countries of central and eastern Europe;

15. Considers the results that will be achieved during the accession process as building blocks in an organic process leading to Union membership, and expresses the wish that candidate countries will participate increasingly in existing EU programmes;

16. Stresses the fact that culture and education will be vital to the pre- accession strategy and that the development of the cultural and educational programmes will have an equal value for the Member States and the applicants;

17. Stresses that cultural and educational activity - which has, through its financial resources, an important multiplier effect - is an integral part of economic development, a direct and indirect source of job creation, and an essential factor in the quality of life and in strengthening European citizenship;

18. Believes that the institutional framework which has emerged from the Amsterdam Treaty does not meet the necessary conditions for achieving enlargement without endangering the operation of the Union and the effectiveness of its actions;

19. Confirms the view set out in its resolution of 19 November 1997 on the Amsterdam Treaty regarding the institutional reforms which must be achieved before any further enlargement and, in particular, repeats its calls for:

- adjustments to be made to the weighting of votes in the Council and to the number of Commission members, with the Member States retaining equal status with each other,

- qualified majority voting to become the general rule in the Council,

- the requirement of unanimity to be restricted to decisions of a constitutional nature (amendments to the Treaties, accessions, decisions on own resources, electoral procedure, application of Article 308 (former 235) EC),

- all other reforms required for enlargement to be adopted;

20. Regarding the methods to be adopted for this reform, reaffirms in particular

- its request that the Commission submit to it in good time before the meeting of the European Council in December 1998 a report containing proposals for a reform of all the Treaties needed in particular in the institutional field and in the context of enlargement,

- its request that this document be forwarded to the parliaments of the Member States, their views being awaited with interest,

- its intention to define its own position in good time as part of this process so that it may then engage in a political dialogue,

- its request that it be fully involved in the next intergovernmental conference and that it be decided by common binding agreement (on the model of the interinstitutional agreements) that the Treaty may enter into force only with Parliament's approval;

21. Opposes the suggestion implicit in the idea that institutional reform could be postponed until the number of Member States exceeds twenty, because this idea reinforces the fear that there will be one privileged group of candidates and one with an uncertain future as to its membership;

22. Regards the European Conference as an essential instrument for political cooperation in order to involve all European countries aspiring to membership and linked to the Union by association agreements in multilateral talks with the Union on issues regarding the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and Justice and Home Affairs (JHA), on the basis of a concrete agenda reflecting the needs and interests of the participants, to be held once a year at the level of Heads of State and Government, including the Presidents of the Commission and the European Parliament;

23. Is of the opinion that the European Conference must not replace the bilateral negotiations on enlargement, but must be seen as a separate instrument of pan-European cooperation;

24. Considers that participation in the European Conference does not imply automatic accession on any defined timetable to the European Union;

25. Draws attention, in the context of accession terms, to the fact that the applicant countries should not grant third country products or businesses more favourable trade or financial treatment than their European Union counterparts with the aim of attracting direct foreign investment;

26. Points out that at the end of the accession negotiations it will be asked to ratify any further enlargement of the Union and stresses therefore that it has an important role to play in the European Conference and that the Council should take the appropriate measures to guarantee its full participation in this new forum;

27. Suggests to the applicant countries that ensuring continuity with regard to their respective negotiating delegations is of great importance for the rapid progress of the accession process;

28. Believes that the abolition of any visa obligation will be of priority for the countries concerned, as it will ease the traffic with, and the development of, the applicant countries involved;

29. Considers it urgent that all applicant countries should unconditionally ratify and implement the Geneva Convention and set up asylum procedures which are in line with the acquis and EU standards;

30. Proposes that the Union engage in a more active policy towards Cyprus in order to contribute effectively to the restoration of its integrity and encourage efforts to seek a political solution;

31. Takes the view that Turkey's application for EU membership needs serious consideration and underlines the need for a special relationship at high level between this country and the Union that goes beyond the existing Customs Union;

32. Stresses that the budgetary costs of enlargement are but a fraction of the economic peace dividend gained after the Cold War and that investing in enlargement sustains this peace dividend;

33. Considers it important that a special strategy be adopted to ensure that cooperation across the EU's external borders to reduce disparities in the standard of living and safeguard peace and stability can continue after enlargement;

34. Recognizes that regions adjoining applicant countries are particularly affected because of their geographical position and that they therefore require special support in the shape of programmes and resources, aimed especially at promoting cross-frontier cooperation and preventing abrupt changes in the competitive situation;

35. Considers that the European Union must ensure that enlargement does not reduce the amount of appropriations allocated in aid to traditional developing countries;

36. Stresses that the EU's relationships with the developing countries, including development cooperation, must be regarded more clearly than in the past as a part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy; in the context of enlargement the new Member States must also be integrated, to the extent their resources permit, into the EU's policy on developing countries and development aid;

37. Supports the view that the Phare funds should be used in a more decentralized way, thus enabling local and regional authorities to play a more active role in the use and monitoring of those funds; also welcomes the Commission proposals to make the Phare funds accession-driven instead of demand-driven;

38. Calls on the Commission to intensify its information campaign to the Central and Eastern European countries about the background and goals of the Union, its federal perspective and its fundamental values, as well as the implications inherent in the adoption, by the applicant countries, of the acquis communautaire and the obligations deriving from accession to the European Union;

39. Wishes to see special attention paid to the programme on democracy and human rights within the Phare programme;

40. Calls for the establishment of appropriate monitoring mechanisms by the EU institutions to keep under review the human rights situation in applicant countries, taking into account the standards set by the Council of Europe and the UN and utilizing the results of the work of the Council of Europe and the OSCE;

41. Calls on the Commission, further, to provide European public opinion with ongoing, comprehensive information about the enlargement, thereby involving it in this process, the success of which depends largely on public support;

42. Urges the Commission to encourage a broader range of direct links between socioeconomic players in the Union Member States and their counterparts in the applicant countries, particularly in the so-called sensitive economic sectors (agriculture, iron and steel, textiles, fisheries, shipbuilding), in order to foster mutual understanding and a constructive approach to problems which might give rise to tension, or even disputes, at the accession negotiations;

Impact on EU policies

43. Notes that the Commission's view that 1.27% of GNP is enough to meet the challenges facing the EU over the period 2000-2006 depends on its assumptions about GNP growth, reform of Community policies and the outcome of the enlargement process; considers that a periodic re-assessment of such data is called for in order to make sure that the Commission's estimates reflect the true implications of enlargement;

44. Considers that, given the inevitable uncertainty of these assumptions, the new financial framework must provide for a revision clause dealing both with expenditure limits, resources and policies in the event that the Commission's assumptions prove not to be on target;

45. Firmly believes that the current system of own resources is likely to be a constraint on the funding of a successful enlargement and calls for this to be taken into account;

46. Considers that, although the Commission's financial framework may appear too long for this kind of perspective, the very success of enlargement requires the budgetary stability provided by an interinstitutional agreement accompanied by the relevant financial perspective;

47. Asks the Commission, within the scope of its declared 'policy against corruption' to work with candidate countries to put in place policies and instruments which effectively dissuade, detect and punish corruption in public administration;

48. Believes that the existence of effective and credible public audit and financial control institutions, able to work closely with their EU equivalents, must be a pre-requisite for accession to the European Union;

49. Recalls the overall positive outcome of preceding enlargements, which have improved the Union's position on international markets, increased trade between Member States and enhanced the Union's international dimension, and thereby increased the total resources available for Member States and the Union;

50. Considers that enlargement will strengthen the weight and influence of the European Union in the international economic system, in international organizations and, more particularly, in the World Trade Organization; in this regard, wishes the European Union and the applicant countries to define forthwith a coordinated strategy for the commitments to be made in the World Trade Organization (the new Agenda themes) and the OECD and with regard to other multilateral economic and financial fora in which it is possible to engage in concerted action;

51. Considers it essential that the phased integration of the applicant countries into the internal market should go hand in hand with a more determined policy of harmonizing that market's external aspects and coordinating the commercial policies of the applicant countries with the European Union's commercial policy and that this will offer numerous advantages, given the strengths of the applicant countries in terms of geographical position, natural resources and investment opportunities, in this way increasing economic growth in Member States and thus expanding the total income of the Union;

52. Calls for the applicant countries to be linked to the single market action plan in order to minimize the frictional losses which will arise as a result of joining the single market;

53. Calls in the framework of the approximation strategy and accession negotiations for greater encouragement for small and medium-sized businesses and the setting up of new businesses, including those in the area of trades and crafts, as this sector is underdeveloped in comparison with the existing Union of fifteen and needs a favourable social environment so that an SME culture can develop;

54. Considers the agreements on EMS II to be an extremely suitable framework in which to facilitate the entry of the Central and Eastern European countries into monetary union, and thinks it worth considering the idea of allowing those Central and Eastern European countries which are willing and able to do so to acquire associate member status in EMS II;

55. Recalls, however, that because the level of development of the applicant countries is lower than the Union average - the new members will all be net beneficiaries - enlargement will lead to a considerable drop in average per capita income in the enlarged Union, yet membership of the Union will in particular stimulate economic growth in the new Member States and will thus rapidly reduce this income gap;

56. Believes that it is imperative that the regional and cohesion policy be reformed by readjusting its objectives and making available the funds required to ensure its smooth operation during the pre-accession period and to enable it to cope with the pressures for sectoral and regional adjustment which will follow enlargement; notes furthermore that this imminent reform is not one that has been imposed as a result of enlargement but represents what is necessary in this area of policy in the light of past experience;

57. Believes that unless adequate financial resources are forthcoming there may, depending upon what reforms there are, in particular in regional policies and in the CAP - irrespective of the enlargement process - be a considerable cut in the funding currently earmarked for the Union regions benefiting under the cohesion policy, and the imbalance between the rich and poor regions of the Union will increase;

58. Stresses that it is important that the financial repercussions of enlargement should not undermine the principles of solidarity and economic and social cohesion within the Union;

59. Underlines the importance of developing the participation of the population in the process of European integration; calls therefore upon the Commission to support NGOs in the environmental, social and cultural fields, to promote the twinning of cities between East and West and to favour the access to information on EU policies, particularly on consumer protection, environmental and social policy and public health;

60. Insists that the acquis communautaire be included de jure and de facto in all social control mechanisms when the applicant countries accede and also notes that it is absolutely essential for the applicant countries to adjust to the European social model if social peace is to be ensured; also takes the view that the basis for broad social acceptance in the question of enlargement is an institutionalized social dialogue between autonomous partners on the two sides of industry, who must be involved in all relevant government decisions and flows of information at the accession negotiations;

61. Calls, with regard to the free movement of workers, especially in view of the phenomenon of commuting, for appropriate flexibly applied transitional periods based on assessment standards to be agreed, in order to:

- ensure an urgently needed, socially compatible integration process,

- reduce the pressure on the European social model,

- ensure continuous economic, social and regional upward development in the applicant countries;

62. Notes with concern that the social question is listed in Agenda 2000 only as an issue to be considered, and that unfortunately no more than secondary importance is attached to the treatment of the social dimension itself; calls, therefore, for a White Paper on the social situation and social policy in the applicant countries to be drawn up as part of the pre- accession strategy, incorporating the following points:

- urgent consideration of a common employment strategy in view of the unemployment situation in the EU Member States and the problems of the border regions,

- particular attention to the importance of initial and continuing training for social integration and

- a broad approach to social concepts and consideration of such aspects as the social implications of regional development tendencies, socio-cultural effects of migratory pressures and social consequences of transformation processes in agriculture;

63. Considers it essential for the applicant countries to be gradually but steadily brought into line with the Union's environmental and social standards; calls on the countries likely to join the European Union to ratify ILO Conventions 138 and 29 on forced labour and the employment of children, and to do so before any accession;

64. Considers that the acquis communautaire on equal opportunities for men and women must be imposed on the applicant countries and that in the negotiations respect for the application of the Treaty's provisions (in Article 119) and current directives on the equal treatment of women and men must be one of the criteria for assessing the Central and Eastern European countries' state of preparation for accession;

65. Is concerned at the trafficking in human beings, particularly women originating in the Central and Eastern European countries, for the purposes of sexual exploitation in the Member States of the Union and considers that urgent measures need to be taken by the relevant authorities of the Central and Eastern European countries and the Member States to stop this clandestine immigration from those countries for trade of this particular kind;

66. Insists that the political criteria for accession must explicitly include respect for the freedoms and fundamental rights of women; considers that there is a need to revise the Treaty of Amsterdam before enlargement to incorporate the fundamental right to equal treatment of men and women;

67. Recalls, however, that the EU as a whole must be successfully overhauled and structural reforms, especially reform of the common agricultural policy, successfully concluded if the integration of the Central and Eastern European countries, which has been decided and makes sense, is to be a success for both sides;

68. Regrets that, in the section of Agenda 2000 dealing with agriculture, the Commission has put forward only piecemeal detailed proposals for individual production sectors instead of developing an overall approach which could have formed the basis for the orientation of all sectors of agricultural production;

69. Regrets that the Commission has not developed a specific policy framework for the rural community, as announced at the Cork Conference; fears that the effectiveness of using agricultural structural funds will be diminished because they are to be split between various objectives and support frameworks;

70. Points out that the economic situation is not identical in all applicant countries, especially in the farm sector, and that the specific situations in those countries must be taken into account when drawing up the measures and timetables for preparations for accession and the transitional measures and timetables that are to apply following integration;

71. Believes that, given the considerable difference in prices and the appropriateness of encouraging a rural development policy, the common agricultural policy in its current form should not be extended to the new members, and that perhaps it would be appropriate to consider whether to set long transitional periods for the application of the common agricultural policy to the new Member States;

72. Believes that, with regard to the common fisheries policy, the Commission should assist the new fleets and processing sectors in reaching the safety and hygiene standards required and recommends that all possible Community financial assistance be extended to the fishing sectors of the applicant states so that they can be modernized as quickly as possible;

73. Considers that the Commission should defend strongly all newly acquired third country fishery agreements, and allocate on a just and fair basis TACs and quotas always taking account of relative stability and historic fisheries performance; believes, moreover, that the environmental issues of pollution have to be resolved in the Black Sea so that a viable fishing industry can be re-established;

74. Considers that there is an urgent need to include in the 1992 reform all those market sectors which have so far been excluded from this reform (e.g. the sugar regime), as the 1992 reform is a prerequisite for extending the common agricultural policy to the accession countries;

75. Stresses the importance of mobility and of exchanging researchers and the establishment of more energy centres for protecting the environment and guaranteeing nuclear safety;

76. Draws attention to the established nuclear power activity in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and requires the Commission to prepare, prior to accession, an agreed programme to:

a) bring existing nuclear power plants up to Western safety standards,

b) ensure that operational safety is overseen by an independent authority recognized by the IAEA, and

c) put in place safeguard procedures in line with the Euratom Treaty to ensure the protection of highly radiated material,

d) arrange for nuclear power stations that cannot be brought up to the necessary level of international safety to be closed and not to go into operation;

77. Points out that coal is a significant component of primary energy sources in the applicant countries and calls on the Commission to prepare with the countries concerned an initiative supported by the Phare programme to improve the productivity of coal mining as well as the introduction of clean coal burning technology;

78. Stresses that via the funds earmarked for the reinforced pre-accession strategy, more attention should be given to the establishment of Trans- European Networks in Central and Eastern Europe;

79. Considers respect for fundamental rights and the protection of minorities in the applicant countries to be a matter of crucial importance and calls on the Commission as a matter of urgency to encourage and assist the applicant coutries to solve outstanding problems;

80. Calls on the Commission, the Council, the Member States and the applicant states to give priority to all measures, including financing, which will create the conditions for the full attainment of an area of freedom, security and justice, in which controls at internal frontiers are dismantled, in order to avoid lengthy transitional periods in these fields;

81. Notes that the independence of the judiciary is one of the pillars upholding the rule of law and fundamental to the effective protection of the rights and civil liberties of all, including the citizens of the applicant countries and, in particular, those brought before the courts; reaffirms its respect for defendants' rights, victims' rights and means of redress, and the protection of witnesses in connection with the fight against international organized crime;

82. Notes with great concern the Commission's findings regarding the applicant countries' administrative and judicial capacity to apply Community law and calls for greater efforts by the Union in terms of financial and human resources to retrain judges, lawyers and administrators; points to the need, therefore, to establish a programme to raise awareness within the professions involved in the administration of justice, organized along similar lines to the Robert Schuman Action Plan;

83. Points out that the activities of the Union's credit institutions in some applicant countries are still severely hampered by the fact that, as a means of securing loans, real estate is worthless not least because of legal uncertainty about the possibility of realizing it in the event of the debtor's financial failure; points out furthermore that priority must be given to developing efficient and reliable land and business registry systems;

84. Recalls the importance, fully respecting the principle of subsidiary, of further developing horizontal policies (social policy, environment, consumers, science, research and development and the information society) so as to take account of the specific features of the applicant countries and not weaken their impact on the populations of the Member States;

85. Believes that speedy and full accession of all applicant states will, in the long term, improve the environment throughout Europe, assuming a more intensive approach to important policy areas such as the environment, transport and energy, with special attention being paid to nature conservation in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe in order to avoid loss of biodiversity;

86. Requests the Commission, in order to make the accession criteria realistic, to draw up a list of the most important elements of EU environmental legislation which applicant countries must satisfy at the time of accession, a list which should be established on the basis of objective criteria with the Council and Parliament; considers that in establishing transitional arrangements, particular attention should be paid to implementing provisions to improve air, water and soil quality and food safety and protection of health as a matter of priority, since in some instances very poor environmental conditions in the Central and Eastern European countries are already damaging the health and reducing the life expectancy of their citizens;

87. Asks the Commission, in accordance with the commitment in the Treaty, to integrate environmental and consumer protection considerations in other policy areas when EU policy is reformed with the environmental and consumer affairs ministers of both the EU and the Central and Eastern European countries being explicitly involved in working out the details of the reforms;

88. Points out that the applicant states should protect the health of their citizens by taking public health considerations into account in other policy areas and considers that the EU and the applicant states should actively support the development of NGOs and voluntary organizations in the health sector;

89. Calls on the Member States of the Union and the Commission to make every effort to combat unemployment effectively and thereby create the preconditions for the free movement of workers in an enlarged Europe;

90. Considers it necessary for the accession process to cover all aspects of the common transport policy, with particular reference to environmental, social and safety considerations, and for emphasis to be placed, wherever possible, on the use of modern technologies and intelligent systems, and that consideration must therefore be given to driving hours, engine emissions, vehicle standards, road-traffic regulations and all the legislation concerning the acquis communautaire;

Opinions on the various countries

Bulgaria

91. Considers that Bulgaria has recently made substantial efforts towards transition to a market economy, although decisive measures still need to be taken in the spheres of the environment, transport, agriculture, energy and justice; considers that a wide-ranging administrative reform at all levels is also needed if the acquis communautaire is to be applied properly;

92. Stresses Bulgaria's compliance with the main political criteria and in this sense is convinced that the opening of negotiations would promote and encourage continuation of the reforms undertaken and would prevent the Bulgarian people from feeling excluded, whilst reaffirming the Union's presence in a region of great political instability;

Estonia

93. Welcomes Estonia's successful development into a functioning market economy and a democracy with stable institutions, but states that efforts have to be sustained fully to implement the acquis, to improve the quality of public administration and to further extend citizenship to members of minority groups;

94. Notes that Estonia can be regarded as having a functioning open market economy, despite economic inequalities between Tallinn and the rest of the country and the alarming trade imbalance which has partly been offset by foreign direct investment and tourism;

Hungary

95. Welcomes Hungary's strong attachment to democracy and its exemplary minorities policy as well as the substantial progress made over a number of years in harmonizing its legislation to comply with the acquis, but states that further efforts are needed to meet the acquis in sectors such as environment, customs control and energy;

96. Assumes that the reinforced pre-accession strategy will help Hungary to prepare itself better to meet the obligations of membership and to overcome shortcomings with regard to modernizing its economy;

Latvia

97. Considers that Latvia has made substantial efforts towards the building of national institutions although, if the acquis communautaire is to be applied properly, measures still need to be taken in public administration and in the application and enforcement of the rule of law; considers also that the country has made successful reforms towards transition to a market economy;

98. Notes the existence of a certain number of problems such as the status of the Russian minority, the as yet uncompleted privatization process and the need to reform the legal and administrative systems;

Lithuania

99. Considers that Lithuania has made impressive political reforms and has a functioning market economy strong enough to meet many of the economic obligations of membership and has made progress in transposing the acquis communautaire; notes that important measures still need to be taken in public administration and in the application and enforcement of the rule of law;

100. Notes that the details of the Commission opinions on Lithuania show that the country has made very significant progress in its continued preparation for membership; appreciates the improvement of the economic situation and the lifting of restrictions on foreign exchange, prices and movements of goods; expects that the reinforced pre-accession strategy of the applicant state will further prepare the country for membership in those areas where continued progress is considered desirable such as enforcing legislation to tackle corruption and improving the system of rules covering the labour market;

Poland

101. Is conscious that Poland is by far the largest of the applicant countries, and that its accession would have a critical effect on existing EU policies, and takes note of the enormous progress towards reforms achieved since 1989, but states that further change and reform measures are required in areas such as the state-owned industries, agriculture, transport, the environment and border controls;

102. Assumes that the reinforced pre-accession strategy will help to overcome in the medium term Poland's economic and environmental structural problems as well as to improve its capacity to control effectively its external borders;

Czech Republic

103. Calls on the Czech authorities to improve substantially the operation of the legal system, especially in order to guarantee fair trials within acceptable periods of time, and to establish rapidly a global policy which aims to avoid any kind of discrimination or marginalization of the Roma minority, not least by ratifying without further delay the European Council's framework convention on national minorities;

104. Takes the view that the pre-accession strategy provides a good opportunity for the Czech Republic to carry out the necessary modernization of the state administration, reforming it on the basis of principles of quality and efficiency, and to carry out those economic reforms which are compatible both with the functioning of the internal market of the European Union (e.g. the national banking and financial structure) and with a European social model which allows for strong measures to combat unemployment and maintain a welfare state which meets the needs of the population;

Romania

105. Applauds the political and economic reforms implemented by Romania in preparation for its accession to the European Union, in particular those carried out since November 1996, and encourages Romania to continue its adjustment measures in line with the requirements of the acquis communautaire;

106. Notes the positive role played by Romania in maintaining the stability of the region, whether through the Friendship and Cooperation Treaty concluded with Hungary, the trilateral cooperation arrangements with neighbouring states or its participation in the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Agreement (BSECA);

107. Considers that the reinforced pre-accession strategy will allow Romania to tackle the economic and structural reforms needed to allow it to face the challenges of enlargement;

Slovenia

108. Recognizes Slovenia's economic dynamism, which has allowed the country to reach the highest level of per capita revenue among the applicant countries;

109. Notes the fact that this country meets the political criteria laid down in Copenhagen and the decision of the Slovenian Parliament to ratify the European agreement with the Union and to adopt the constitutional changes requested;

Slovak Republic

110. Stresses the Slovak Republic's European aspirations and notes that it has achieved, under difficult circumstances, good economic results which would qualify it for accession to the European Union at the same time as the more advanced countries if its political life were not tainted by certain practices which are not consistent with accepted democratic standards in the Union Member States;

111. Requests, nevertheless, that the Slovak Republic should, like the other applicant countries, benefit from the reinforced pre-accession strategy in order to continue to adapt its economy to the conditions of the single market and to ensure that it is not left behind when the political conditions for its accession are met; calls, in particular, for the accession partnership to be negotiated with this country to make provision for measures in the sphere of democracy - including minority rights - and for the democracy-related appropriations from the Phare programme to be used to support the measures which will be determined by joint agreement in this sphere;

112. Notes that the Slovak authorities are starting to send the European Union signals regarding their determination to democratize political life in the Slovak Republic and now looks to that country to take practical measures to implement the three recommendations issued by the Joint Parliamentary Committee;

Cyprus

113. Reasserts its position in its abovementioned resolution of 12 July 1995 that the accession negotiations with Cyprus must begin six months after the end of the intergovernmental conference, as has already been confirmed on a number of occasions by the European Council;

114. Calls on the Council and the Commission to do everything in their power to promote a peaceful solution to the Cyprus question in accordance with the UN Resolutions, without the accession negotiations with the Cypriot Government being linked to a solution to the dispute; invites the Commission to persuade the two communities on the island of the advantages of EU membership and to involve both communities in the enlargement process;

115. Calls on the Commission and Council to give proper acknowledgement to the Republic of Cyprus's excellent economic and financial position which would enable the island to meet the EMU criteria as of now, thus facilitating the accession negotiations which must not, under any circumstances, depend on the state of relations with Turkey and which must be concluded without delay;

116. Notes with satisfaction that the Council intends to consult the European Parliament on the general regulation on pre-accession partnership, but stresses that it should also be consulted on the individual regulations, bearing in mind that this should not slow down the pre-accession process;

117. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the applicant countries.