The European Commission published its Agenda 2000 communication and its opinions on the applications for membership of the Union by the ten central and eastern European applicants in July. On the basis of its opinions, the Commission recommended that the Union open accession negotiations in the first instance with five of the ten central and eastern European applicants: Hungary, Poland, Estonia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, together with Cyprus, which already had the benefit of a positive opinion. The European Council, which is meeting in Luxembourg on 12-13 December, is to take the key decisions with regard to the management of the enlargement process, including as to the applicants with which the EU should open accession negotiations, the practical arrangements for the initial phase of negotiations and the reinforced pre-accession strategy. We would expect that accession negotiations will, in accordance with the conclusions of the Amsterdam European Council, open as soon as possible, after the Luxembourg European Council, in early 1998.