15. WelcomesthegreatstridesthatLithuaniahasmadeindevelopingitsbordercontrols,andconsiders
thatasimplifiedbordercrossingprocedureforlocalresidentsshouldbefound;
16. InstructsitsPresidenttoforwardthisresolutiontotheCommission,theCouncil,theparliamentsof
theMemberStatesandtheLithuanianGovernmentandParliament.
5. Poland
A5-0246/2000
European Parliament’s resolution on Poland’s application for membership of the European Union
and the state of negotiations (COM(1999) 509 8dash C5-0032/2000 8dash 1997/2174(COS))
The European Parliament,
2dash having regard to Poland’sapplication for membership of the European Union submitted on 5 April
1994pursuanttoArticle49oftheTEU,
2dash havingregardtotheopinionoftheCommissiononthisapplication(COM(1997)20022dashC4-0374/
1997),
2dash havingregardtothe1999RegularReportonPoland’sprogresstowardsaccession(COM(1999)5092dash
C5-0032/2000)andtothe1999CompositePaperoftheCommission(COM(1999)5002dashC5-0341/2000),
2dash havingregardtothedecisionsadoptedbytheEuropeanCouncil,notablyinCopenhagen(21/22June
1993),Luxembourg(12/13December1997),andHelsinki(10/11December1999),
2dash havingregardtotheEuropeAgreementbetweentheEuropeanCommunitiesandtheirMemberStates
oftheonepart,andPolandoftheotherpart,
2dash havingregardtotheAccessionPartnershipforPoland,2dash havingregardtoitsresolutionof15April1999(
1)ontheFirstRegularReportfromtheCommission
onPoland’sprogresstowardsaccession,
2dash havingregardtoRule47(1)ofitsRulesofProcedure,
2dash having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, CommonSecurity
andDefencePolicy(A5-0246/2000),
A. whereas accession negotiationswithPolandhave reached acritical stage with theopening ofallthe
chaptersincludingtheveryimportantoneofagriculture,
B. whereasthePolishauthoritieshavestressedthat,intheiropinion,Polandwillbereadytoaccedeby
31December2002,
C. acknowledgingtheeffortsmadebyPolandtoadopttheCommunity acquisandtotransposeCommu-
nitylegislation,
D. notingthathumanrightsandfundamentalfreedomsarefullyrespectedinPolandandthattheratifi-
cationbytheGovernmentoftheprincipalconventionsonhumanrightsprovidessufficientguarantees
fromthepointofviewofinternationalandconstitutionallaw,
E. conscious of the fact that the rural population accounts for 38% of Poland’s total population and
4,9% of the GDP and that agricultural employment is estimated at 27,4%, compared with 5% intheEU;whereasthereisaneedforalternativeemploymentintheruralareaandforstructuralreform,notonlyinconnectionwiththepreparationforEUaccession,butalsoforthesurvivalofthesectorin
theworldeconomy,
(1) OJC219,30.07.1999,p.446.C178/138 EN22.6.2001 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
Wednesday 4 October 2000
F. pointingoutthatdespitethefinancialcrisisinRussiain1998,thedatashowscontinuousgrowthof
thePolisheconomy,
G. whereas the Polish authorities are gradually implementing and speeding up the privatisation pro-
grammeadoptedinJuly1998,especiallyinthesteelsector,
H. whereas, during the last year, Poland has made considerable progress in the environmental sector
thankstotheNationalFundforEnvironmentalProtection,inparticularinimplementingthe‘polluter
pays’principle,
I. notingtheattentiongivenbythePolishGovernmenttotheproblemofitsborderswithKaliningrad,
Lithuania,BelarusandUkrainebyspecialstrengtheningoftheBorderGuards’institutionalandadmin-
istrativecapacitybasedontheIntegratedBorderManagementStrategyadoptedrecentlybythePolish
GovernmentandwelcomedbytheEU,
J. aware ofthe need togenerate andmaintain supportfor the processofEuropean integration onthe
partofthePolishgeneralpublic,
K. notingthatthemeasuresproposedbythePolishGovernmenttoresolvetheproblemoftherestitution
ofpropertyareencounteringseriousdifficultiesintheSejm,
L. whereastodatethemeetingsoftheEU-PolandJointParliamentaryCommitteehavemadeaconsider-
ablecontributiontomutualunderstandingandcontinuetohaveapositiveinfluenceontheprocessofpreparationsforaccession,
1. Stresses the importance of accepting Poland into the European Union as soon as possible, being
convincedofthemutualbenefitswhichthiswillbring;
2. WelcomestheprogressmadebyPolandintransposingCommunitylegislation,eventhoughthelatter
is notbeing adequately applied, and invites therefore the PolishParliament andGovernment to intensify
themeasuresforstrengtheningadministrativestructures;
3. UrgesPolandtospeeduptheimplementationoftheCommunity acquissothatitcanfulfilitsobliga-
tionsandbenefitfullyfromtheadvantagesstemmingfromaccessiontotheEuropeanUnion;
4. NotesPoland’sundertakingtomodernisetheagriculturalsector;stressesinparticulartheimportance
oftheprogrammeentitled‘Acoherentstructuralpolicyforagricultural andruraldevelopment’approved
bythePolishGovernmenton13July1999;notes,however,thatthedifficultiesinvolvedinimplementingthe abovementioned programme stem chiefly from the lack of a positive financial strategy; observes, inaddition,thatconsiderableeffortsmuststillbemadeinthisfieldinview oftheslowpace oftheoverall
structuralreformofPolishagriculture;
5. Calls on Poland to make greater investment in rural areas in order to reduce the social cost of
restructuring; recalls that such restructuring is necessary not so much because of Poland’s forthcomingaccessiontotheUnionbutbecauseoftheinevitableneedforthePolisheconomytofaceuptotheglobaleconomy; considers it crucially important to begin radical restructuring of the agricultural sector and
recommends that more consideration be given to the future development of Poland’sagriculture and its
effectsonthelabourmarketinPolandandtheEuropeanUnion;
6. Considers that the restructuring of the agricultural sector and rural development measures have to
focusonthemultiplefunctionsofruraleconomiesandthediversificationofincomeinruralareasbyan
appropriateuseoflocalresourcesandspecificitiesinordertopreventtheriskofexcessiveruralexodus;
7. UrgestheMemberStatesandtheCommissiontodetermineassoonaspossibledetailednegotiating
positionsenablingrapidprogresstobemadewiththenegotiationsontheagriculturalchapter;22.6.2001 EN C178/139 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
Wednesday 4 October 2000
8. WelcomestheadoptionofalawtoalignPoland’ssystemofstateaidstothestandardslaiddownby
theEuropeAgreementandstressestheimportanceofmakinglegislationonSpecialEconomicZonescon-sistent with the Polish legislation implementing the acquis communautaire so as to create a stable climate
andencourageprivateinvestment;
9. EncouragesPolandtospeedupprivatisationandrestructuringofthemajorStateundertakings,above
allinthesteel,energy,chemical,armaments,sugaranddistilleriessectors,andrecommendsthatconsidera-tionbegiventothepossibleeffectsofrestructuringonthePolishandEuropeanlabourmarkets;
10. Welcomestherecentlyaccomplishedregionalreform,pointingoutthatsomefinancialautonomyof
theregionsisessentialforfulladoptionofthe acquis,aboveallintheeducation,localinfrastructuresand
healthsectors;callsonthePolishauthoritiestocontinuetheirworkonimprovingtheinstitutionalcondi-tionsforeffectiveimplementationofregionaldevelopmentprogrammesinview ofPoland’sparticipationintheEU’sstructuralpolicy,ensuringtheparticipationoflocalandregionalactorsaswellastheconcen-trationofmeansonthepoorestregions;
11. ApprovestheprogressmadebyPolandinpreparinglegislativemeasuresintheenvironmentalfield;
notes that in order effectively to apply that legislation, the regional and localauthorities will have tobestrengthenedandthatitwillalsobenecessarytodevelopclearoperatingprogrammes;encouragesPolandtomaintainahighlevelofinvestmentintheenvironmentalfieldandtodrawupclearspendingstrategies;
12. WelcomestheprogressmadebyPolandinstrengtheningcontrolmeasuresatitsborderswhichwill
become the external frontiers of the European Union, but notes the need to continue and step up theeffortsmadetoensureanefficientcustomsservice;
13. Calls on the Commission to look for appropriate measures to encourage development and
strengthensynergiesbetweenPoland,LithuaniaandtheRussianregionofKaliningrad;considersthateco-nomic,culturalandsocialcooperationwiththeRussianregionofKaliningradmustremainaprimaryaim
even after accession, and calls on Poland, Lithuania and the other countries concerned to find positive
solutionsenablingKaliningradtobenefitfromtheadvantagesoffullregionalintegration;
14. NotestheurgentneedtoinformthepublicintheMemberStatesandinthecandidatecountriesof
theadvantagesofaccessionandcallsontheCommissionandPolandtoprovidesufficientfundsforinfor-
mationcampaignsaimedatimprovingtheawarenessofthegeneralpublicoftheissuesinvolvedinenlar-gement; remindsPolandandthe Commissionthatalackofdialogue with organisationsrepresenting thePolishpublicisafactorinincreasingpublicresistancetotheintegrationprocessandtotheaccompanying
reform;
15. InstructsitsPresidenttoforwardthisresolutiontotheCouncilandCommission,theparliamentsof
theMemberStatesandthePolishGovernmentandParliament.
6. Czech Republic
A5-0245/2000
European Parliament resolution on the Czech Republic’s membership application to the European
Union and the state of negotiations (COM(1999) 503 8dash C5-0026/2000 8dash 1997/2180(COS))
The European Parliament,
2dash havingregardtotheCzechRepublic’sapplicationformembershipoftheEuropeanUnion,submitted
on17January1996,pursuanttoArticle49oftheTEU,
2dash havingregardtotheopinionoftheCommissiononthisapplication(COM(1997)20092dashC4-0381/
1997),C178/140 EN22.6.2001 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
Wednesday 4 October 2000