European Parliament resolution on the enlargement of the European Union
Date: 2001-09-05
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: accession to the European Union, agricultural policy, common foreign and security policy, enlargement of the Union, environmental policy, industrial policy, migration policy, political cooperation, social policy

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4.
Calls on the Commission to retain an upper ceiling on the annual number of journeys until the
ecopoints system expires at the end of 2003, but at the same time to ensure that the number of journeys
is calculated correctly, and to make provision for a more appropriate system of sanctions than the existing
one for cases where the upper ceiling is exceeded;

5.

Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.

7. Enlargement

B5-0538/2001

European Parliament resolution on the enlargement of the European Union

The European Parliament,

(cid:129) having regard to the oral question to the Council tabled on 6 July 2001 by the Committee on Foreign

Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (B5-0331/2001),

A. whereas enlargement is the historic task for the European Union in order to fully realise its ambitions

to bring peace and prosperity to the entire continent,

B. whereas the enlargement process will benefit the applicant countries as well as the Member States of
the European Union and both sides should seize this historic opportunity to ensure Europe(cid:146)s long
term stability, security and prosperity,

C. whereas in Gothenburg on 15/16 June 2001 the European Council declared the enlargement process

irreversible,

D. whereas the Irish referendum of 7 June 2001 on the Treaty of Nice has brought an element of uncer-

tainty into the timetable for enlargement,

E. whereas, in order for the forthcoming enlargement of the European Union to be a success, there is a
in particular greater transparency and

need for reforms which go further than the (cid:145)left-overs(cid:146),
approachability for ordinary citizens and an active policy to combat high unemployment;

F. whereas the rejection of the Nice Treaty in the Irish referendum confirms Parliament(cid:146)s long-standing
demands for change in the way the treaties of the Union are modified, because the current procedure
is bound to alienate the citizens of Europe from the historic endeavour of the Union to bring peace,
security and prosperity to the entire continent,

G. whereas Community pre-accession aid must be enabled to benefit candidate countries under the best
possible conditions as regards management, control, transparency and efficiency, and in order for this
to happen appropriate and well-run management and financial control systems are essential, as is the
development of an anti-fraud culture and system,

H. whereas the peoples of the candidate countries are making great efforts in the process of reassessing

their complex post-war history and the Cold War,

I. whereas, in view of the far-reaching changes accompanying the preparations for accession, the dignity
of the peoples of the candidate countries must never be wounded by insensitive demands from the EU,

J. whereas the efforts of the candidate countries to find an equitable method of resolving property

restitution issues are to be welcomed,

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1.
Reiterates the call it made, in its resolution of 4 July 2001 on the European Council meeting of
15/16 June 2001 in G(cid:246)teborg (1), to the Commission and the governments of the Member States and the
candidate countries to do everything in their power to ensure that the prospect of citizens of the candidate
countries participating in the 2004 European elections becomes a reality; considers that accession treaties
must be concluded on a case-by-case basis by the end of 2002 reflecting the progress made by each of the
candidate countries, in order that the European Union(cid:146)s historic commitments may be fulfilled (2);

2.
Reconfirms the commitment of the Union to continue with the strategy for enlargement according to
the roadmap adopted at the Nice European Council; considers therefore that, as a precaution, following the
Irish (cid:145)no(cid:146) vote on the Treaty of Nice, alternative options must be devised (e.g. in the accession treaties);

Urges the Member States of the Union to seek creative solutions to the constitutional problem which

3.
the antiquated, untransparent and unintelligible process engaged in during the Nice summit has created;

Expects that the candidate countries will have an advisory role until accession in all further steps as

4.
part of preparations for the next intergovernmental conference (post-Nice process);

Encourages the candidate countries to respect the Charter of Fundamental Rights, as proclaimed in

5.
Nice, in the same way as the EU institutions and Member States;

6.
Calls, when the respective accession treaties are negotiated, for the number of representatives in the
European Parliament specified for Hungary and the Czech Republic and Malta to be corrected to match the
22 seats allocated to Belgium and Portugal and the 6 seats allocated to Luxembourg (countries with a
similar population);

Reiterates that the issue of membership of the European Union is a matter solely for the European

7.
Union, its Member States and the candidate countries;

8.
Invites both Member States and candidate countries to intensify the public information campaign on
enlargement in order to increase the awareness of Europe(cid:146)s citizens about the advantages and obligations
of EU membership;

9.
Is concerned about persisting high unemployment rates, widening income disparities and high
poverty rates in some of the candidate countries; calls for greater attention to be paid to the social dimen-
sion of enlargement, inter alia by strengthening pre-accession aid for measures in support of social cohe-
sion;

10.
Expects the governments of the candidate countries and the Commission to involve all interested
stakeholders in programming, selecting and evaluating projects and programmes financed by the pre-acces-
sion funds, in the same way as this is required under the partnership principle for the management of
structural funds within the EU;

11.
Notes that the enlargement of the EU and NATO can usefully complement each other and wel-
comes the efforts of those candidate countries which wish to do so to become integrated into the North
Atlantic security structures; stresses the right of each state to determine its own security policy;

12.
Reiterates its proposal that the prospect of participation in a new European area based on trade,
security, protection of the environment and fundamental rights should be open in principle to all neigh-
bouring countries; participation in such an area must not preclude eventual membership of the EU;

13.
Appeals to the candidate countries, the Member States and all Union institutions affected by
enlargement to pay particular attention to preparing for the implementation of the acquis communautaire
at the various levels of government in the future Member States, and in particular to attach greater import-
ance to training for those administering the law, organising more traineeships and twinning programmes;

(cid:145)Texts Adopted(cid:146), Item 12.

(1)
(2) Conclusions of the G(cid:246)teborg European Council Presidency, 15/16 June 2001.

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14.
Considers that enlargement will generate economic and political benefits which will both be greater
than the budgetary costs; underlines that accession must not be made dependent on issues which are
currently conflictual between Member States; stresses that the policy of economic and social cohesion
must be maintained for the whole Union also after enlargement;

Demands that Member States put the interest of the enlarged Union first when considering individ-

15.
ual chapters of the accession negotiations;

16.
Points out that the participation of new Member States in the Union(cid:146)s Common Agricultural Policy
and the Structural operations will be phased in during the first years of membership in order to take into
account the socio-economic situation, the absorption capacity, the co-finance capabilities and the adminis-
trative framework of these new Member States, and in order to take into account the implications for the
EU budget;

17.
Stresses that the likely costs for the European Union budget incurred by the accession of Member
States until 2006 can be catered for in the framework of the provisions of the existing Interinstitutional
Agreement of 6 May 1999 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budget-
ary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure (1); suggests that after accession the amounts
could be made available through an adjustment of the Financial Perspective for the specific year, within the
limit of 1,27 % for payment appropriations and of 1,335 % for commitment appropriations; recalls that the
margin for unforeseen expenditure in payments, which totals 0,15 % of the Community(cid:146)s GNP in 2004,
could be used also to cover additional financial needs related to enlargement;

18.
Stresses that the costs arising from the accession of new Member States are likely to increase signi-
ficantly after 2006 and require a serious consideration of the financing of the EU budget and the con-
tribution capacity of the old and the new Member States; however, underlines that it supports the principle
to maintain the ceiling for payment appropriations at 1,27 % of the Community(cid:146)s GNP up to 2006, which
could be used through the EU budget in order to cover the needs of an enlarged Union;

Points out that the upcoming reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy should take into account
19.
the financial, social and environmental implications of enlargement on agriculture and vice versa as well as
the situation of the agriculture sector in the new Member States; stresses that the reforms should preferably
be decided upon before accession taking into account current and future obligations in the framework of
the WTO; underlines, in particular, the need to start discussing the possibility to grant the new Member
States(cid:146) farmers direct aid;

20.
Notes that direct payments to agricultural producers are playing an important and controversial role
in the accession negotiations; stresses the need to bring direct payments within the sphere of the (cid:145)second
pillar(cid:146) of the CAP by compulsorily tying premiums to social and ecological criteria (cross-compliance and
modulation) in order to make them less controversial and guarantee that direct payments in an enlarged
Union will be uniformly determined;

21. Welcomes the conclusion of the agreements on the further liberalisation of agricultural trade and
the double-zero approach contained therein which provides for the mutual abolition of export refunds and
the reduction of customs duties in connection with import tariff quotas; points out that, as a result, the
candidate countries have made perceptible progress on preparing for a common internal market;

22.
Notes that the main budgetary problems regarding enlargement after 2006 have to do with cat-
egories 1 (CAP) and 2 (structural funds); underlines at the same time that both parts of the EU budgetary
authority must also take the necessary precautions to detect and prevent problems in other budget cat-
egories, not least category 3 (internal policies) and category 5 (administration), where it is already possible
to predict new financial needs in the context of preparations for enlargement;

Asks the Commission to provide regularly updated figures on the financial costs of enlargement

23.
until 2006 as the accession negotiations proceed;

Calls on the candidate countries to adopt strategies to introduce legislation against discrimination

24.
pursuant to Article 13 of the EU Treaty;

(1) OJ C 172, 18.6.1999, p. 1.

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25.
Emphasises that the acquis communautaire in the area of equality between men and women should be
incorporated before accession, since it is essentially a question of human rights, and that the necessary
institution-building or reinforcement of institutional and administrative capacity in this area is a vital
prerequisite for full implementation of the acquis;

Wednesday 5 September 2001

26.
Calls on the Commission to make sufficient financial support available to help the candidate coun-
tries to fully align their statistical procedures and methodologies with EC standards; calls on the govern-
ments of all candidate countries to develop and disseminate gender-disaggregated statistics relevant to
gender, compatible with those used in the EC,
in order to raise awareness of problems and facilitate
comparison, as well as to monitor the equality situation in the relevant countries;

Points to the still inadequate nature of the asylum procedure in several applicant countries, notably
27.
with regard to statutory provisions and procedures, access to asylum procedures (refugees refused entry at
the border or arbitrarily detained; unsatisfactory functioning of administrative tribunals);

Underlines the common EU responsibility (technical and financial assistance) for strict external
28.
border controls in order to combat illegal immigration and trafficking in human beings; therefore urges
the applicant countries to strengthen the quality of border police forces and the fight against drug traffick-
ing and international crime;

29.
Stresses that the enforcement of border controls must not interfere with the right of refugees to
access asylum procedures and the principle of non-refoulement; calls in this context for the establishment
of mandatory rules so as to guarantee the compatibility of readmission practices and the right of asylum;

30.
Notes that many instances of undue violence still occur and therefore calls on applicant countries to
pursue measures to improve their police qualifications and behaviour by way of training programmes on
issues of democracy, human rights, respect for minorities and the right of asylum; also invites these coun-
tries to favour diversified recruitment in the police;

31.
Notes that despite some progress, prison conditions often remain very unsatisfactory in most of the
applicant countries, in particular with regard to the length of pre-trial detention and the detention con-
ditions for minors, and therefore invites those countries to improve the situation, provide for necessary
changes in the penal law, develop training programmes and (in the case of those which have not done so)
to ensure that prison administrations are under the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice;

32.
Emphasises that corruption endangers the satisfactory functioning of the police and judiciary and
undermines public confidence and therefore urges applicant countries which have not yet ratified the
Council of Europe and OECD Conventions relating to the fight against corruption to do so and to take
all the necessary steps to implement those Conventions as soon as possible;

33.
Stresses that full confidence in each other(cid:146)s data protection standards is a precondition for the
establishment of truly effective bilateral cooperation with Europol and the police and judicial authorities
of the Member States, and therefore urges applicant countries that have not done so to sign and ratify the
Council of Europe Convention of 28 January 1981 for the protection of individuals with regard to auto-
matic processing of personal data;

Notes that the communication adopted by the Commission on 25 July 2001 on the (cid:145)Impact of
34.
enlargement on regions bordering candidate countries(cid:146) goes only part of the way towards fulfilling the
call by the Nice European Council to present a programme to strengthen the competitiveness of the border
regions; against the background of the particular need for adjustment in the border regions between the
current and future member states, calls for additional support measures for these regions, which would
create major incentives for increased cross-border cooperation;

35.
Urges that special cross-border flanking measures such as possible transitional periods be considered
in regions where workers are likely to commute across borders, with a view to anticipating the labour
market consequences of the free movement of workers and services, on the basis of yet to be agreed

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Wednesday 5 September 2001

assessment criteria to secure an urgently needed socially sustainable integration process; invites the Com-
mission to further develop together with the Employment and Social Affairs Committee of the European
Parliament a reference document containing those criteria and measures;

36.
Criticises the low level of development of sectoral collective agreements and calls for social dialogue
to be stepped up and maintained particularly at sectoral level, supported by cross-border contacts and
cooperation between social partners in border regions, with a view to copying EU social partnership
models;

37.
Believes that transitional periods in crucial areas of the internal market require a specific statement
of the reasons upon which they are based in each case and should not merely be matters to be balanced
out in the negotiations, that their scope and duration should be restricted as far as possible to ensure that
they do not cause any serious distortions of competition and that there is progressive adaptation towards
completion of the internal market;

Encourages the Commission to use the results of the Business Environment Simplification Task
38.
Force (BEST process) in order to evaluate the industries and enterprises of the candidate countries; requests
the Commission to make these evaluations available to the candidate countries and encourages the candi-
date countries to make use of benchmarking as a basis for improving their industrial performance;

Points out that restructuring programmes for the steel

39.
industry in the candidate countries are
urgently needed and that the steel industry needs careful treatment, consisting of a short-term policy of
State subsidies necessary for its survival and containment of labour lay-offs and a long-term policy geared
towards structural adjustment, rationalisation and specialisation in high value added steel products;

40.
Reiterates that the energy sector needs urgent attention as to the security of supply, structural
changes in the coal industry, energy efficiency, research and production of renewable energy, safety of
nuclear energy, believes that the trading of emission certificates might be in some countries an effective
solution for the immense investment needs and supports an enhanced participation of candidate countries
in EU programmes such as SAVE. Synergy, Altener, etc.;

41.

Notes that nuclear energy still gives rise to a number of questions in the candidate countries;

Notes that Articles 2 and 6 of the Amsterdam Treaty concerning sustainable development and the
42.
integration of environment into all policy areas need to be fully applied to all parts of accession negoti-
ations, not only the environment but also other chapters, in particular agriculture and fisheries, just as in
the existing Member States;

43.
Calls on the responsible authorities of the European Union and the applicant countries to look for
solutions so that areas within the candidate countries currently enjoying the status of protected areas of
natural or scientific interest, which in some countries are more extensive than required by the EU acquis,
are maintained at their current levels;

44.
Believes that the closure of accession negotiations and the agreement on transitional periods with
regard to the environment must be made dependent on the quality of detailed investment plans and time-
tables for the full implementation of the acquis; calls on the Commission to encourage and support finan-
cially Eurrepas, an embryonic network of regional and local environment enforcement authorities from the
EU Member states and the accession countries in order to ensure full implementation of the environmental
acquis in practice;

45.
Calls on the responsible institutions of the European Union to ensure that a thorough, independent
and reliable environmental impact assessment is carried out before any money is allocated or delivered
from the funds for which they are responsible, and that the results of such assessments are used to deter-
mine whether projects are worthy of financial support or contribute to sustainable development. Funds
should in no case be delivered to projects which are environmentally damaging;

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Regrets that there are still significant obstacles to the use of EU pre-accession funds to support

46.
environmental projects and conservation namely;

(cid:129) the € 5 million lower limit for ISPA projects prevents support for localised, smaller-scale, stakeholder-

driven projects which are often the most effective for stimulating sustainable approaches;

(cid:129) the (cid:145)entrance ticket(cid:146) requirement for LIFE Nature has dissuaded many candidate countries from par-

ticipating in this valuable programme;

calls therefore on the Commission to review the rules;

Regards the signing of the financing agreement with relevant countries as a vital step towards
47.
preparing for Sapard and hopes that all countries will be in a position as soon as possible to establish
the Sapard payment agencies; stresses the importance of integrated rural development for the enlargement
process; calls on the Commission to improve the information provided to the rural population on rural
development;

Believes it to be of central importance that the implementation of the new proposals in the Com-

48.
mission(cid:146)s White Paper on Food Safety is carefully monitored by the candidate countries;

49.
Understands that the recommendation by the Scientific Committee to put all accession countries in
Group 3 as regards the risk of BSE is aimed exclusively at protecting the interests of consumers; urges
those countries to invest rapidly in the restructuring of slaughterhouses and to withdraw all at-risk material
in accordance with the European directives on the subject; also urges that the integrated system for admin-
istration and control be reviewed so as to enable livestock to be systematically traced;

50.
Calls on the candidate countries to put into place the mechanisms necessary to link effectively to
the Community(cid:146)s Rapid Alert System, both in terms of alerting the European Food Safety Authority and in
terms of action to be taken by the RAS as a result of an EFSA warning;

51.
Calls on all candidate countries to cooperate more closely in the field of education and training
policy; the greatest possible exchange of students is undoubtedly one of the best ways of increasing under-
standing of European integration; stresses the special cultural value which exchanges of students have;

52.
Calls on the Commission and the Council to link the enlargement process to the effective imple-
mentation of measures to prevent and combat all forms of trafficking in women and to tackle the problem
of domestic violence against women; calls for the financial means and technical assistance to be made
available to a partnership of police, immigration and judicial services by means of twinning projects and
that funds available under PHARE be used to help candidate states to participate in the Daphne pro-
gramme;

53.
Bearing in mind that the adoption of the acquis communautaire in the sphere of sex equality is an
essential precondition for accession, calls for gender mainstreaming to be implemented; calls on the gov-
ernments of the candidate countries to promote the equal participation of women and men in the decision
making process as foreseen in the Council Recommendation of 2 December 1996;

Considers that the candidate countries should not have to meet any stricter conditions than, and

54.
must enjoy the same rights as, the Member States themselves;

Reiterates that human rights are not negotiable and therefore calls on candidate countries to abolish

55.
legalisation which discriminates against persons on the basis of their sexual orientation.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, the parlia-

56.
ments of the Member States and the parliaments and governments of the candidate countries.