Godfrey Timmins
Question:17 Mr. Timmins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ireland's attitude towards the continued enlargement of the European Union.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Enlargement of European Union.
Austin Deasy
Question:39 Mr. Deasy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the countries which have applied for full membership or some form of associated membership of the European Union; and Ireland's attitude towards each of these applications.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 39 together.
There are currently ten applications for membership of the EU from Austria, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Turkey, Malta, Cyprus, Switzerland, Poland and Hungary.
Ireland's general attitude to the question of enlargement is open and positive. The Treaty on European Union states that any European State may apply to become a member. Our concern is to ensure that enlargement should not diminish the momentum towards European integration. It is also essential that the applicants capable of assuming the obligations of membership. In determining this the formal opinion of the Commission on an application for membership, as required under Article O of the Treaty, is of major importance.
Austria, Sweden, Finland and Norway have just completed negotiations to join the European Union. Referenda on Union membership will be held in each country before the end of the year. If the outcome of these referenda favours Union membership these countries can become members of the European Union on 1 January 1995.
Ireland has welcomed the prospect of membership of the Union by these four EFTA countries as we already have close relations with them. We have shared a similarity of outlook on a range of international issues. In addition, it is our view that membership of the European Union by Austria, Sweden, Finland and Norway will help to strengthen the Union.
As far as the applications from Poland and Hungary are concerned, Ireland supports the conclusions of the Copenhagen European Council in June 1993 which accepted that the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe shall become members as soon as they are able to assume the obligations of membership. These include the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights, the protection of minorities and the capacity to cope with competitive pressures and market forces within the Union. Membership would also require the candidates to accept all the Union's goals, including political, economic and monetary union. The European Council also affirmed that enlargement would have to take into account the Union's capacity to absorb new members while maintaining the momentum of integration. The Polish and Hungarian applications, which were received in April, have been referred in the normal way to the Commission for an opinion.
The Turkish application for membership was the subject of a Commission opinion in 1989. This concluded that it would not be useful to open accession negotiations straight away but that a range of steps should be taken to intensify relations with Turkey, including the establishment of a Customs Union in 1995. Work is continuing to achieve this goal.
The Commission also delivered its opinions on the applications from Malta and Cyprus. The opinion on Malta confirmed its eligibility for membership but found that Malta's economy would require a major and fundamental overhaul to enable it to adopt EU rules. The General Affairs Council last October largely endorsed the Commission's opinion and discussions have now begun with the Maltese authorities on the required economic reforms.
The opinion on Cyprus was largely positive as regards Cyprus's economic credentials and suggested that the Union should send a positive signal to Cyprus confirming its eligibility for membership and proposing that the formal accession process could begin as soon as there is a prospect of a political settlement. In line with this opinion the Council, in October 1993, recommended that the Commission should open substantive discussions with Cyprus with a view to preparing the way for eventual accession negotiations. The Council also recommended that the situation should be reviewed in 1995 in the event that no progress had been made on the political front.
Switzerland's application for membership will not be acted upon for the immediate future, following the negative result of the referendum on the European Economic Area Agreement.
The time for questions is exhausted. I will allow one final supplementary from Deputy Deasy who has tabled one of these questions.
I am sure nobody in this country has any problems with the current four applicant countries because overall they have been net contributors to the Community. However, there is a very serious question mark over the prospective entry of countries like Poland — and there was a Polish delegation here last week lobbying on this matter — in view of the fact that there are 38 million people in Poland and 2.2 million small farmers. If countries such as Poland and Hungary, whose infrastructures are so run down, are allowed entry to the European Union within the next couple of years it is bound to have very severe repercussions on our economy, particularly our agricultural economy. Before any such application is discussed within the European Union, particularly at head of State level, will the Minister agree there should be a major debate in this House on our attitude to it because of the implications for this country?
I have no difficulty in relation to the holding of a debate in this House; certainly I will make myself available for such discussion. We may well have to have a discussion before the end of this session concerning the present enlargement and I would welcome the Deputy's contribution. The position is that the European Council has affirmed that enlargement should take into account the Union's capacity to absorb new members while maintaining the momentum of integration. That covers the point the Deputy made and his worries. I have said in this House on many occasions that if the enlargement is completed successfully — obviously dependent on the referenda in the four applicant countries — by January 1995 — the European Union itself will need a period of time within which to overcome the difficulties experienced in recent years, in terms of economic growth and tackling the unemployment crisis. We should seek a new momentum within the Union prior to any further enlargement. Obviously we shall have to continue discussions with the eastern European countries which will have to effect significant improvements in their economies. All the difficulties the Deputy raises in relation to, say, Poland or Hungary will be discussed well in advance of their entry. Nonetheless we need a period of consolidation within the European Union before further enlargement.
That concludes questions for today.
I request that my question No. 23 be postponed until the next day the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs will answer questions.
That will be arranged.