European Parliament resolution on Slovenia's application for membership of the European Union and the state of negotiations (COM(1999) 512 - C5-0035/2000 -1997/2181(COS))
Date: 2000-10-04
Institutions: Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament
Subjects: EU relations, Slovenia, accession criteria, accession negotiations, accession to the European Union, economic situation, political situation

C 178/154

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.6.2001

Wednesday 4 October 2000

15.
Regrets the slow pace of the reform of public administration, which represents an obstacle to the
integration of the acquis communautaire, and therefore urges the Romanian authorities to step up the pace
of that reform;

16.
Asks also the Romanian authorities to remove the remaining obstacles to the adoption of the acquis
communautaire, especially as regards protecting the environment, combating corruption and crime, and
strengthening border checks;

Notes that, despite numerous government initiatives, much remains to be done to overcome the

17.
corruption which is undermining the political and administrative structures of Romania;

18.

Calls for swift adoption of the package of reform of the judiciary and of the penal code;

19.
Notes the Romanian authorities’ declared intention to reach a rapid solution to the problem of
children in institutions, by facilitating their return to a family environment; confirms that accession to
the European Union requires a fundamental change in current practice going much further than the efforts
which have been made in that area to enable Romania fully to comply with the international conventions
on children’s rights which it has signed and by which it is bound;

20.
Recalls that a High Level Group on children’s welfare has been created with the backing of the
Romanian Prime Minister, the Commission, the World Bank, the WHO and Unicef in order to speed up
the efforts aimed at finding a lasting solution to this problem;

21.
Calls on the EU Institutions, in cooperation with the Romanian Government, to examine all the
possibilities for drawing up and co-funding joint programmes for the social rehabilitation and integration
of the children in institutions in order to secure a definite long-term solution to the problem;

22.
Urges the future Romanian Government, irrespective of its composition after the November 2000
elections, to continue the necessary reforms at a more intensive pace so as to enable Romania to join the
Union within a reasonable time, with the support of the Romanian people;

23.
Confirms its view that Romanian nationals should not be required to hold a visa in order to enter
the EU and reiterates its opinion as set out in its position of 5 July 2000 (1) on the proposal for a Council
regulation on listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the
(COM(2000) 27 :
external borders and those whose nationals are exempt
C5-0166/2000 : 2000/0030(CNS)); calls on the Council to adopt the relevant regulation as soon as pos-
sible;

from that requirement

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and Council, the parliaments of

24.
the Member States and the Government and Parliament of Romania.

(1)

‘Texts Adopted’, Item 12.

11. Slovenia

A5-0242/2000

European Parliament resolution on Slovenia’s application for membership of the European Union
and the state of negotiations (COM(1999) 512 ( C5-0035/2000 ( 1997/2181(COS))

The European Parliament,

: having regard to Slovenia’s application for membership of the European Union, submitted on 10 June

1996 pursuant to Article 49 of the TEU,

: having regard to the opinion of the Commission on this application (COM(1997) 2010 : C4-0382/

1997),

22.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 178/155

Wednesday 4 October 2000

: having regard to the 1999 Regular Report on Slovenia’s progress towards accession (COM(1999) 512
: C5-0035/2000) and to the 1999 Composite Paper of the Commission (COM(1999) 500 :
C5-0341/2000),

: having regard to the decisions taken by the European Council, notably in Copenhagen (21/22 June

1993), Luxembourg (12/13 December 1997) and Helsinki (10/11 December 1999),

: having regard to the Europe Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States

of the one part and Slovenia of the other part,

: having regard to the Accession Partnership for Slovenia of 1999,

: having regard to its resolution of 15 April 1999 (1) on the first Regular Report from the Commission

on Slovenia’s progress towards accession,

: having regard to Rule 47(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

: having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security

and Defence Policy (A5-0242/2000),

A. whereas the country has achieved a satisfactory level of macro-economic stability and further progress

is needed towards structural reforms, in particular by quickening the pace of privatisation,

B. whereas since 1998 Slovenia has stepped up its efforts to ensure the transposition of the acquis com-
munautaire in particularly important sectors such as the internal market, data protection, liberalisation
of capital movements, the banking system, environmental protection and veterinary legislation,

C.

stressing, however, that further significant improvements are needed in administration to ensure effec-
tive application of Community legislation and that further progress is needed with regard to the legal
system,

Points out that Slovenia must continue to meet the Copenhagen political criteria also in those areas

1.
where questions remain open, as specifically mentioned in the Commission’s 1999 report;

2.
Points out that relations between the European Union and Slovenia are based on the 1996 Europe
Agreement, full compliance with which is an important factor in bringing the accession negotiations to a
successful conclusion;

3.
Notes that the country now has a fully functioning economic system, capable in the long term of
withstanding competitive pressures arising from full participation in the internal market, and that macro-
economic stability has been maintained;

4.
Considers EU membership for Slovenia to be an important stabilising factor in the region and
believes that it could pave the way for a perspective for potential EU membership for the other countries
of south-east Europe;

5.
Underlines the constructive role that Slovenia has played in the recent conflicts in the region and its
decisive contribution to the stabilisation process; stresses in this respect that the strengthening of border
controls in the framework of preparation for accession must take due account of regional trade relations
and the need to develop regional cooperation and cross-border projects in the framework of the stability
pact;

Stresses the need to develop the privatisation process in the insurance sector and adopt legislation to

6.
reform the pensions system;

7. Welcomes the fact that the acquis communautaire is being transposed more quickly, leading to the
adoption of essential chapters of legislation on the internal market (in the field of VAT and excise duties,
for example);

(1) OJ C 219, 30.07.1999, p. 441.

C 178/156

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.6.2001

Wednesday 4 October 2000

8. Welcomes the decision by the Slovenian Government to convert the duty-free outlets at its land
borders by the end of the year 2000 and its intention to pursue its property restitution policy;

9.
Points out that further progress must be made as regards reform of the legal system and the public
administration, which are vital instruments for the effective application of Community law, and that bodies
must be created with adequate financial and human resources in key sectors such as agriculture and cus-
toms administration, etc.;

Expresses its satisfaction at the excellent take-up rate for Phare funds by Slovenia and the role that

10.
this programme is playing as part of the pre-accession strategy;

11.
Hopes that the management and impact of the funds Slovenia is receiving under the Sapard and
ISPA programmes will be equally effective, as these should make it possible to undertake projects in the
environment and transport sectors; urges the Slovenian authorities to closely involve local and regional
actors, as well as social partners, in the programming, implementation and evalution of structural mea-
sures;

12. Welcomes the gradual integration of Slovenia into the Union’s foreign policy activities, as evidenced
during the Kosovo war, together with the enhanced cooperation in the justice and home affairs sector;

13. Wishes to see a rapid settlement of the border dispute with Croatia, as regards both the question of
access to the Bay of Piran and the land border, in order to increase stability in the region while also
promoting opportunities for the economic, social and cultural development of the populations concerned;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the parliaments of

14.
the Member States and the Government and Parliament of Slovenia.

12. Cyprus

A5-0249/2000

European Parliament resolution on Cyprus’s application for membership of the European Union
and the state of the negotiations (COM(1999) 502 ( C5-0025/2000 ( 1997/2171(COS))

The European Parliament,

: having regard to Cyprus’s application for membership of the European Union, submitted on 3 July

1990 pursuant to Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union,

: having regard to the opinion of the Commission on this application (COM(1993) 313 : C4-0583/

1997),

: having regard to the Council of Ministers decision of 6 March 1995, confirmed by the European

Council in Helsinki,

: having regard to the first regular report from the Commission, issued on 17 December 1998, on
Cyprus’s progress towards accession (COM(1998) 710 : C4-0108/1999) and Parliament’s resolution
of 15 April 1999 on the same subject (1),

: having regard to the second regular report from the Commission, issued on 13 October 1999, on

Cyprus’s progress towards accession (COM(1999) 502 : C5-0025/2000),

: having regard to the decisions of the Copenhagen (21/22 June 1993), Florence (21/22 June 1996),
Luxembourg (12/13 December 1997), and Helsinki (10/11 December 1999) European Councils,

: having regard to the accession negotiations with the Republic of Cyprus, which opened on 31 March

1998,

(1) OJ C 219, 30.7.1999, p. 448.