European Parliament's resolution on Poland's application for membership of the European Union and the state of negotiations (COM(1999) 509 — C5-0032/2000 — 1997/2174(COS))
Date: 2000-10-04
Institutions: Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament
Subjects: EU relations, Poland, accession criteria, accession negotiations, accession to the European Union, economic situation, political situation

C 178/138

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.6.2001

Wednesday 4 October 2000

15. Welcomes the great strides that Lithuania has made in developing its border controls, and considers
that a simplified border crossing procedure for local residents should be found;

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

16.
the Member States and the Lithuanian Government and Parliament.

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 ’ C5-0032/2000 ’ 1997/2174(COS))

The European Parliament,

# having regard to Poland’s application for membership of the European Union submitted on 5 April

1994 pursuant to Article 49 of the TEU,

# having regard to the opinion of the Commission on this application (COM(1997) 2002 # C4-0374/

1997),

# having regard to the 1999 Regular Report on Poland’s progress towards accession (COM(1999) 509 #
C5-0032/2000) and to the 1999 Composite Paper of the Commission (COM(1999) 500 # C5-0341/
2000),

# having regard to the decisions adopted 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 Poland of the other part,

# having regard to the Accession Partnership for Poland,

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

on Poland’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 (A5-0246/2000),

A. whereas accession negotiations with Poland have reached a critical stage with the opening of all the

chapters including the very important one of agriculture,

B. whereas the Polish authorities have stressed that, in their opinion, Poland will be ready to accede by

31 December 2002,

C.

acknowledging the efforts made by Poland to adopt the Community acquis and to transpose Commu-
nity legislation,

D. noting that human rights and fundamental freedoms are fully respected in Poland and that the ratifi-
cation by the Government of the principal conventions on human rights provides sufficient guarantees
from the point of view of international and constitutional law,

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 % in
the EU; whereas there is a need for alternative employment in the rural area and for structural reform,
not only in connection with the preparation for EU accession, but also for the survival of the sector in
the world economy,

(1) OJ C 219, 30.07.1999, p. 446.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 178/139

F.

pointing out that despite the financial crisis in Russia in 1998, the data shows continuous growth of
the Polish economy,

Wednesday 4 October 2000

G. whereas the Polish authorities are gradually implementing and speeding up the privatisation pro-

gramme adopted in July 1998, especially in the steel sector,

H. whereas, during the last year, Poland has made considerable progress in the environmental sector
thanks to the National Fund for Environmental Protection, in particular in implementing the ‘polluter
pays’ principle,

I.

J.

noting the attention given by the Polish Government to the problem of its borders with Kaliningrad,
Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine by special strengthening of the Border Guards’ institutional and admin-
istrative capacity based on the Integrated Border Management Strategy adopted recently by the Polish
Government and welcomed by the EU,

aware of the need to generate and maintain support for the process of European integration on the
part of the Polish general public,

K. noting that the measures proposed by the Polish Government to resolve the problem of the restitution

of property are encountering serious difficulties in the Sejm,

L. whereas to date the meetings of the EU-Poland Joint Parliamentary Committee have made a consider-
able contribution to mutual understanding and continue to have a positive influence on the process of
preparations for accession,

Stresses the importance of accepting Poland into the European Union as soon as possible, being

1.
convinced of the mutual benefits which this will bring;

2. Welcomes the progress made by Poland in transposing Community legislation, even though the latter
is not being adequately applied, and invites therefore the Polish Parliament and Government to intensify
the measures for strengthening administrative structures;

Urges Poland to speed up the implementation of the Community acquis so that it can fulfil its obliga-

3.
tions and benefit fully from the advantages stemming from accession to the European Union;

4.
Notes Poland’s undertaking to modernise the agricultural sector; stresses in particular the importance
of the programme entitled ‘A coherent structural policy for agricultural and rural development’ approved
by the Polish Government on 13 July 1999; notes, however, that the difficulties involved in implementing
the abovementioned programme stem chiefly from the lack of a positive financial strategy; observes, in
addition, that considerable efforts must still be made in this field in view of the slow pace of the overall
structural reform of Polish agriculture;

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 forthcoming
accession to the Union but because of the inevitable need for the Polish economy to face up to the global
economy; 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’s agriculture and its
effects on the labour market in Poland and the European Union;

6.
Considers that the restructuring of the agricultural sector and rural development measures have to
focus on the multiple functions of rural economies and the diversification of income in rural areas by an
appropriate use of local resources and specificities in order to prevent the risk of excessive rural exodus;

Urges the Member States and the Commission to determine as soon as possible detailed negotiating

7.
positions enabling rapid progress to be made with the negotiations on the agricultural chapter;

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8. Welcomes the adoption of a law to align Poland’s system of state aids to the standards laid down by
the Europe Agreement and stresses the importance of making legislation on Special Economic Zones con-
sistent with the Polish legislation implementing the acquis communautaire so as to create a stable climate
and encourage private investment;

9.
Encourages Poland to speed up privatisation and restructuring of the major State undertakings, above
all in the steel, energy, chemical, armaments, sugar and distilleries sectors, and recommends that considera-
tion be given to the possible effects of restructuring on the Polish and European labour markets;

10. Welcomes the recently accomplished regional reform, pointing out that some financial autonomy of
the regions is essential for full adoption of the acquis, above all in the education, local infrastructures and
health sectors; calls on the Polish authorities to continue their work on improving the institutional condi-
tions for effective implementation of regional development programmes in view of Poland’s participation
in the EU’s structural policy, ensuring the participation of local and regional actors as well as the concen-
tration of means on the poorest regions;

Approves the progress made by Poland in preparing legislative measures in the environmental field;
11.
notes that in order effectively to apply that legislation, the regional and local authorities will have to be
strengthened and that it will also be necessary to develop clear operating programmes; encourages Poland
to maintain a high level of investment in the environmental field and to draw up clear spending strategies;

12. Welcomes the progress made by Poland in strengthening control measures at its borders which will
become the external frontiers of the European Union, but notes the need to continue and step up the
efforts made to ensure an efficient customs service;

Calls on the Commission to look for appropriate measures to encourage development and
13.
strengthen synergies between Poland, Lithuania and the Russian region of Kaliningrad; considers that eco-
nomic, cultural and social cooperation with the Russian region of Kaliningrad must remain a primary aim
even after accession, and calls on Poland, Lithuania and the other countries concerned to find positive
solutions enabling Kaliningrad to benefit from the advantages of full regional integration;

14.
Notes the urgent need to inform the public in the Member States and in the candidate countries of
the advantages of accession and calls on the Commission and Poland to provide sufficient funds for infor-
mation campaigns aimed at improving the awareness of the general public of the issues involved in enlar-
gement; reminds Poland and the Commission that a lack of dialogue with organisations representing the
Polish public is a factor in increasing public resistance to the integration process and to the accompanying
reform;

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

15.
the Member States and the Polish Government and Parliament.

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 ’ C5-0026/2000 ’ 1997/2180(COS))

The European Parliament,

# having regard to the Czech Republic’s application for membership of the European Union, submitted

on 17 January 1996, pursuant to Article 49 of the TEU,

# having regard to the opinion of the Commission on this application (COM(1997) 2009 # C4-0381/

1997),