European Parliament resolution on Poland's application for membership of the European Union and the state of negotiations (COM(2000) 709 - C5-0609/2000 - 1997/2174(COS))
Date: 2001-09-05
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Poland, accession negotiations, accession to the European Union, agricultural policy, economic policy, industrial policy, social policy

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31.
Believes that Lithuania may also be in a good position to promote alternative solutions, such as a
more extensive biomass exploitation including biofuel production, the creation of new co-generation
plants and the increase of gas use in the energy mix after undertaking the necessary feasibility studies,
and that this might contribute in a limited, yet valuable way, to energy supply and also to rural devel-
opment;

32.
Considers that, because of the similarity between the challenges that EU candidate and non-candi-
date countries in the region face in certain areas, possibilities to develop regional cooperation in these
areas should be examined;

33.
Emphasises Lithuania(cid:146)s right to determine its own security policy independently and welcomes
Lithuania(cid:146)s efforts to integrate across the range of Euro-Atlantic security structures as a step towards reduc-
ing the different security zones in Europe;

34.
Points out that, following enlargement, Kaliningrad will become an enclave within the European
Union with a considerably lower standard of living than adjoining areas; welcomes in that regard the fact
that Russia has given Kaliningrad special economic status, which may mean the possibility of greater
economic growth in the region; notes with satisfaction that Lithuania continues to play a constructive
role in efforts to enhance cooperation with Russia in relation to the Kaliningrad oblast, but stresses that
the EU(cid:146)s involvement in dialogue with Russia must be strengthened, particularly to ensure the possibility of
free movement between Kaliningrad and Russia, and between Kaliningrad and adjoining EU countries,
including within the framework of Schengen cooperation;

*

*

*

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

35.
the Member States and the Government and Parliament of Lithuania.

11. State of accession negotiations with Poland

A5-0254/2001

European Parliament resolution on Poland(cid:146)s application for membership of the European Union
and the state of negotiations (COM(2000) 709 (cid:129) C5-0609/2000 (cid:129) 1997/2174(COS))

The European Parliament,

(cid:129) having regard to Poland(cid:146)s application for membership of the European Union submitted on 5 April

1994 pursuant to Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union,

(cid:129) having regard to the 2000 Regular Report from the Commission on Poland(cid:146)s progress towards acces-

sion (COM(2000) 709 (cid:129) C5-0609/2000),

(cid:129) having regard to the Enlargement Strategy Paper on progress towards accession by each of the candi-

date countries presented by the Commission (COM(2000) 700),

(cid:129) having regard to the decisions taken by the European Council, notably at Copenhagen (21/22 June
1993), Luxembourg (12/13 December 1997), Helsinki (10/11 December 1999), Nice (7-9 December
2000) and Gothenburg (15/16 June 2001),

(cid:129) having regard to the Accession Partnership with Poland concluded in 1999,

(cid:129) having regard to its resolution of 4 October 2000 on Poland(cid:146)s application for membership of the

European Union and the state of negotiations (1),

(1) OJ C 178, 22.6.2001, p. 138.

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(cid:129) having regard to its resolution of 31 May 2001 on the Treaty of Nice and the future of the European

Union (2001/2022(INI)) (1),

(cid:129) having regard to Rule 47(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

(cid:129) having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security

and Defence Policy and the opinions of the other committees concerned (A5-0254/2001),

A. whereas the Polish Government has stressed that the country will be ready to join the Union with

effect from 1 January 2003,

B. noting that Poland continues fully to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms,

C. noting that the Polish Government responded positively to the Nice summit and has frequently

expressed its desire to be associated with the debates on the institutional future of Europe,

D. whereas Polish farmers were the only ones in communist central Europe who managed to keep pri-
vately-owned agriculture; whereas Polish agricultural practices are still characterised by structural dif-
ficulties stemming from farm fragmentation and over-employment; whereas possibilities to create
alternative job in rural areas continue to be limited,

E. whereas the macroeconomic situation is generally encouraging and inflation and exports are showing

clear signs of improvement,

F. whereas the official unemployment rate nevertheless remains high (16 %) and is concentrated in the
rural areas of north-eastern Poland; taking into account that the (cid:145)National Action Plan for Employment
and Development (NAP)(cid:146) adopted in summer 2000 contains sound measures in line with EU employ-
ment strategy,

G.

recognising the Polish Government(cid:146)s commitment to the reforms undertaken in the sectors of health,
pensions, education and public administration and inviting the Polish authorities to continue efforts to
ensure the rapid and effective implementation of these reforms,

H.

stressing that a major task now is to increase the stability and efficiency of Poland(cid:146)s judiciary and
public administration, in particular, police services, customs, border guards and financial control,

I.

noting that the Union is intensifying its pre-accession aid, notably through its financial contribution in
the context of the financial framework agreed upon by the Berlin European Council (24/25 March
1999) for the years 2000 to 2006; welcoming the conclusion of the multiannual and annual financing
agreements with Poland under the Sapard programme,

J. whereas the activities of the EU-Poland joint parliamentary committee have made a significant con-
influence on accession pre-

tribution to mutual understanding and continue to have a beneficial
parations,

1.
Calls on Poland to speed up effective and verifiable implementation of the acquis communautaire to be
able to meet its commitments and fully enjoy the advantages that will follow once Poland joins the Euro-
pean Union;

2. Welcomes the remarkable efforts made by the Polish parliament in order to swiftly adapt national
legislation to the acquis;

3. Welcomes the adoption of the 2001 budget law, which includes provision for spending increases in
sectors which are extremely important for the purposes of EU accession, such as agriculture; encourages
the Polish authorities to continue the effective implementation of the Pact on Agriculture;

(1)

(cid:145)Texts Adopted(cid:146), Item 4.

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4.
Understands that the opinion of the Scientific Committee to place Poland, as other candidate coun-
tries, in group 3 concerning the risk of BSE aims excusively at protection of the interests of the consumers
in Poland and in the European Union; urges Poland to invest rapidly in the restructuring of slaughter-
houses and to withdraw all material at risk in accordance with the European directives on the subject;
urges also that the integrated system for administration and control be reviewed so as to enable livestock
to be systematically traced, and welcomes the actions already undertaken by the Polish authorities to
improve the situation;

Calls on the Polish authorities and the Commission to reach a compromise agreement on partici-
5.
pation in the common agricultural policy on the basis of the proposal by Commissioner Fischler for a
(cid:145)phasing-in(cid:146) of direct payments, as this would facilitate gradual integration of this sensitive sector of the
Polish economy into the Community system;

6. Welcomes the agreement reached between the Polish authorities and the Commission on the liberali-
sation of trade in agricultural products to the satisfaction of both parties concerned;

7. Welcomes the Polish Government(cid:146)s commitment to adopt by the end of 2001 the whole acquis
communautaire in the environment sector, an area where much ground has still to be made up (notably
with regard to water pollution); notes that implementation of some of the legislation requires transition
periods;

8.
Acknowledges the need to restructure Polish agriculture in order to meet demands for quality and
cost-effectiveness, and taking into account the broader issues of rural development and environmental
protection;

9.
Calls on the Polish Government to review its position on its request for transitional periods of five
years for the acquisition of businesses and 18 years for the purchase of forest and agricultural land in
Poland by European Union undertakings and citizens, adopting a more realistic approach more in line
with the objectives of genuine integration;

10.
Calls on the Polish authorities in this connection to coordinate procedures and relations between
the Ministry of Treasury and the Ministry of the Interior with regard to the granting of the authorisations
needed by foreign investors;

11. Welcomes the proposals currently being drawn up and discussed to amend the labour laws with the
aim of developing a programme to combat unemployment; calls on the Polish authorities to tackle this
problem, which now affects officially 16 % of the population;

12. Welcomes the increase in twinning planned under the institution-building programme for border
guards; welcomes the decision by the Polish authorities to improve the working conditions of the staff
employed at law enforcement agencies;

13. Wishes to avoid the danger of a (cid:145)paper curtain(cid:146) at Poland(cid:146)s external borders after its accession to the
EU and therefore supports the Polish authorities(cid:146) desire to introduce flexible rules on the crossing of
borders; calls for early measures to this end and advocates European financial support therefor;

Reminds the Polish authorities of the need to continue industrial restructuring (especially in the

14.
steel, chemical, and railways sectors), never underestimating its social impact;

Underlines the ongoing need for a credible record of enforcement of competition policy, in particu-

15.
lar with regard to state aid;

16.
Considers that the existence of Special Economic Zones (SSEs) in Poland has been one of the major
causes of contention from the beginning of the negotiations; invites the Polish authorities to reconsider the
demand for a transition period for SSEs until 2017 and to adjust its law to EU standards in issues related
to state assistance for investors, which, in the case of SSEs, means bringing tax privileges into line with the
acquis and Poland(cid:146)s existing obligations under the Europe Agreement (1);

(1) OJ L 319, 21.12.1993, p. 4.

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17. Welcomes the Commission(cid:146)s Communication on Kaliningrad (COM(2001) 26) and the subsequent
discussions on Kaliningrad, not least under the framework of the Action Plan for the Northern Dimension,
in the external and cross-border policies of the European Union 2000-2003, which together recognise the
(cid:145)unique part(cid:146) that Kaliningrad plays in the strategic trilateral relationship between the EU, the applicant
countries (notably Poland and Lithuania) and Russia; regrets however that the Council has yet to announce
the adoption of more concrete measures, especially with regard to the four priority issues (movement of
goods, movement of people, environmental protection and energy supplies) and urges the Council to
propose early progress on the upgrading of
the Pan-European Transport
Corridors I (Gdansk-Kaliningrad-Riga) and IX.B (Kaliningrad-Vilnius-Minsk) as a first step in resolving
these issues; notes that Kaliningrad is an important trade crossroads and that practically no action is
being taken to modernise the relevant section of Transport corridor 1; stresses that if the Corridor is to
be fully modernised to encompass Kaliningrad and ensure efficient international trade and free movement
of goods, the EU will have to contribute towards the cost of modernisation;

the relevant sections of

Urges Poland to speed up the implementation of the Community acquis on transport, especially in

18.
the field of market access, social and safety legislation and in the field of road taxes and charges;

19.
Notes that in the field of transport a range of very important new acquis has been and will be
adopted before the accession of Poland (e.g. rail liberalisation, maritime safety) and therefore calls upon
the Commission together with Poland, to develop a clear strategy for the implementation of these new
legislative measures;

20.
Considers that although economic development in Poland has made progress towards restructuring
its industrial base, further efforts are still required; notes that Poland is still benefiting from fairly balanced
development based on several centres of development and is thus experiencing less severe regional dis-
parities than some Member States and candidate countries; recommends that priority continue to be given
to such a multicentric development approach;

Calls on the Polish government to complete the process of liberalisation of the flow of all long-term

21.
capital (cid:129) including money for the purchase of real estate;

22.
Advocates, having regard to increased unemployment and the expected increase in the population
of working age despite the low population increase, the adoption of an intensive and proactive labour-
market policy on the basis of sustained economic growth; welcomes the impetus now being given to such
a labour-market policy, in particular the National Strategy for Employment and Human Resources 2000-
2006, the National Action Plan for Employment Development 2000/2001 and the Joint Assessment of
Employment Priorities in Poland; reiterates its concern at the unfavourable prospects for employment in
agriculture and other sectors, and repeats its call for the social consequences of industrial reconversion also
to be assessed;

Considers that the Commission contribution to European Union information campaigns in Poland

23.
has been inadequate and calls for more funds to be allocated for this purpose;

24.
Emphasises the importance of applying the principle of gender equality in all policy areas, especially
access to employment, pay, promotion and vocational training, education and participation in decision-
and policy-making bodies, and of promoting policies which make it possible to reconcile job and family
obligations so that an employment strategy can be put into effect which does not discriminate on grounds
of gender, including the introduction of a range of initiatives (public or private) which will in practice
facilitate the integration of professional and family life, especially for families with children;

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

25.
the Member States and the Government and Parliament of Poland.