WRITTEN QUESTION E-1741/02 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Council. The views of the UK Foreign Minister, Jack Straw, concerning the decisions to be taken about the enlargement of the Union to include new countries.
Date: 2002-06-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Belarus, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom, accession negotiations, accession to the European Union, foreign policy

C 52 E/100

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2003

(2003/C 52 E/111)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1741/02

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(19 June 2002)

Subject: The views of the UK Foreign Minister, Jack Straw, concerning the decisions to be taken about the

enlargement of the Union to include new countries

The British Foreign Minister not only hopes that the Council under the Danish presidency next December
will decide on the accession of ten new States but considers that it will be possible to give a new impetus
to the negotiations with Bulgaria and Romania, examine Turkey’s application and consider to the same end
the reforms needed in Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus, claiming that all these matters are priorities for the
Danish presidency. Do these views accurately reflect the stage reached on this issue in the European
Council?

Reply

(5 November 2002)

The Council never comments on declarations released by national authorities. The European Council in
Seville on 21 and 22 June 2002 reaffirmed that, if progress in negotiations and reforms is maintained, the
European Union is determined to conclude the negotiations with Cyprus, Malta, Hungary, Poland, the
Slovak Republic, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Slovenia by the end of 2002, if those
countries are ready, the objective remaining that these countries should participate in the elections of the
European Parliament in 2004 as full members.

The European Council reiterated its commitment to give Bulgaria and Romania full support in their
preparation for accession. To this end, an updated road map and a revised and enhanced pre/accession
strategy should be adopted in Copenhagen for the candidate countries still engaged in negotiations.
An increase in pre-accession financial aid could also be contemplated. Furthermore, if the current pace is
maintained, a more precise timetable could be set for these countries’ accession process by the end of the
year.

Furthermore, the European Council concluded that new decisions could be taken in Copenhagen on the
next stage of Turkey’s candidature in the light of developments in the situation between the Seville and
Copenhagen European Councils, on the basis of the regular report to be submitted by the Commission in
October 2002 and in accordance with the Helsinki and Laeken conclusions.

(2003/C 52 E/112)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1762/02

by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(19 June 2002)

Subject: Promotion of hydrogen fuel derived from renewable energy sources and regional programmes

To progress a sustainable transport policy, which not only reduces city pollution and CO2 emissions, it is
clearly necessary to support the use of alternative fuels, derived from renewable energy sources, through
the regional / structural programmes of the EU. One promising fuel type is hydrogen, which also has the
benefit of noise reduction when used in fuel cells. It can be derived from any form of electricity, as well as
biomass, natural gas, and various chemical processes.

Is the Commission encouraging the use of hydrogen fuel as part of the EU’s regional programmes, for
example in funding public transport programmes? Given that the programmes emphasise renewable
sources of energy for various reasons, does the Commission favour the use of hydrogen derived from
renewable sources in the regional /structural programmes?