Resolution of the Committee of the Regions on enlargement
Date: 2003-11-20
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: Baltic States, Central and Eastern Europe, Cyprus, Malta, accession to the European Union, enlargement of the Union

23.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 73/79

Resolution of the Committee of the Regions on enlargement

(2004/C 73/16)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the Comprehensive Monitoring Report of the European Commission on the State of
Preparedness for EU membership of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary,
Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia (adopted by the European Commission on 5 November 2003);

having regard to the document entitled Continuing Enlargement — Strategy Paper and Report of the
European Commission, on the progress towards accession by Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey (adopted by
the European Commission on 5 November 2003);

having regard to the Treaty of Accession signed on 16 April 2003 by ten candidate countries, and its
subsequent ratification;

having regard to the application for membership of the EU by Croatia;

having regard to its opinion on the document entitled Towards the enlarged Union — Strategy Paper and
Report of the European Commission on the progress towards accession by each of the candidate countries
[COM(2002) 700] and the Report from the Commission to the Council: Explaining Europe’s Enlargement
[COM(2002) 281final — CdR 325/2002 fin (1)],

adopted the following resolution by a majority vote at its plenary session on 20 November 2003.

I. On the ten accession countries

The Committee of the Regions

1) Welcomes the Commission report and the conclusion
that, ‘on the whole, the acceding countries are expected to be
ready for accession in the very large majority of areas’;

Congratulates the accession countries and the candidate

2)
countries on the substantial progress achieved;

3)
Notes that the ten acceding countries will join on 1 May
2004 and that the delays and gaps which the Commission has
pointed out could impact upon various accession arrange-
therefore
ments, but may not at all events delay them;
encourages the acceding states to step up their efforts to
comply as much as possible with the Community acquis at the
moment of accession, so as to be able to enjoy the full benefits
of EU membership from the moment of accession;

4)
Notes particularly the need for enhanced efforts to
implement the Structural and Cohesion Funds, considering
that actions will be eligible for EU funding as from 1 January
2004;

5)
Points out that many of the measures called for by the
Commission require active input from local and regional

(1) OJ C 128, 29.5.2003, p. 56.

authorities: eliminating corruption, strengthening administrat-
ive capacity, arrangements for the processing of EU funds;

Is of the opinion, therefore, that local and regional
6)
authorities must be specifically included in the support
measures and the Transition Facility; recommends, further-
more, that local and regional authorities be consulted by the
Commission and by their respective governments.

II. On Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Croatia

The Committee of the Regions

7)
Believes the progress made by Bulgaria and Romania has
to be evaluated individually. One country should not be
dependent on the progress of another country;

8)
Takes note of the progress made in Turkey, at the same
time as it demands more progress, particularly in the field of
human rights. Welcomes the Commission in its conclusions
that Turkey has a decisive interest in providing determined
support for efforts towards a comprehensive settlement of the
Cyprus problem and that the absence of a settlement could
become an obstacle to Turkey’s EU aspirations;

9) Welcomes the application for membership from Croatia.
Strongly believes that the enlargement to EU-25 is not the
final shape of the European Union;

C 73/80

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

23.3.2004

Urges the Commission and the governments of Bulgar-
10)
ia, Romania, Turkey, Croatia and possible future candidate
countries to closely involve local and regional authorities and
their associations from the outset, with a view to successful
and rapid preparation for accession;

11) Welcomes the creation of a joint consultative com-
mittee of the CoR with Bulgaria as a useful instrument for
assisting local and regional authorities to prepare for accession;
encourages the government of Romania to request the creation
of such a committee.

III. General

The Committee of the Regions

Reiterates the importance of democratic legitimacy of
through direct elections;

12)
local and regional government,
supports any reforms to this effect;

in the reports; calls on the Commission to include local and
regional authorities more explicitly in its monitoring;

14)
Points out the importance of capacity building at all
levels of government and in particular at local and regional
government levels; believes that cooperation between local
and regional authorities in the existing Member States and the
accession countries has an important role to play in building
the capacity of sub-state government, through tailored pro-
grammes, advice and practitioner-to-practitioner exchange, as
well as long-term partnerships;

15)
Deplores the fact that the Commission systematically
recommends accelerating the pace of privatisation in its
monitoring reports on the acceding countries. It must be
recalled that Article 295 EC provides neutrality of EU legis-
lation as regards property. Privatisation is not an aim in itself
and should not be confused with opening of market access in
the sectors where the EU is competent to regulate. The social
impact of opening market access in the applicant countries
should be closely monitored;

Stresses the key role of local and regional authorities in
13)
the implementation of EU policies, and hence for the prep-
aration for accession; considers, therefore, unfortunate the
near absence of any reference to local and regional government

Proposes that the CoR organise a hearing on this
16)
subject, in the presence of observers and guests from Bulgaria,
Romania, Turkey and Croatia, and requests its RELEX com-
mission to make the necessary arrangements.

Brussels, 20 November 2003.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Albert BORE