Written Answers. - EU Enlargement.
Liz McManus
Question:
69
Ms McManus
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
his views on the proposal made by the President of the EU Commission, Mr. Romano Prodi, that six additional countries should be brought into the formal accession negotiations and the Helsinki Summit; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20877/99]
Michael Ring
Question:
70
Mr. Ring
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
the status of the Turkish application to join the EU; and the Government's view on this application.
[20969/99]
Ruairí Quinn
Question:
79
Mr. Quinn
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
his views on the Turkish application for membership of the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20876/99]
P. J. Sheehan
Question:
89
Mr. Sheehan
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he has satisfied himself that all EU applicant states meet the human rights criteria set for entry into the EU.
[20970/99]
Proinsias De Rossa
Question:
157
Proinsias De Rossa
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will insist on an agreed settlement of the Cyprus question as a necessary condition for the acceptance of Turkish candidature for membership of the European Union.
[21224/99]
Jim O'Keeffe
Question:
160
Mr. J. O'Keeffe
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
his views on the admission of Poland to the European Union; the proposals for dealing with agriculture in these negotiations; and when the negotiations will be completed.
[20852/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 69, 70, 79, 89, 157 and 160 together.
The enlargement process in which the EU is currently engaged is the most important, the largest, and the most complex exercise which the EU has faced to date.
As Deputies are aware, the process is governed by the Copenhagen criteria which provide the objective determinants by which judgment is made as to the state of preparedness of the candidate countries to enter into enlargement nego tiations with the EU and the readiness of the EU to open negotiations with the candidate countries.
On the basis of these criteria, the European Council in Luxembourg in December 1997 opened negotiations with a group of countries most often termed the "ins" or the 5+1, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Estonia and Cyprus. At this stage, a number of the more easy chapters have been opened with this group of countries, and, in each case, several numbers of these chapters have been provisionally set aside.
Central to the enlargement process and providing it with direction are the Commission's regular reports on the state of the process itself and the condition of readiness of the candidate countries. In its most recent reports which became available on 13 October the Commission proposes that it would be appropriate now for the European Council in Helsinki in December to declare the EU's readiness to open negotiations with the group of countries known as the "pre-ins". These are Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and Malta. There are some conditions laid down which must be met before negotiations with Romania and Bulgaria can be opened. In the case of Bulgaria, the Commission has asserted that the opening of negotiations should be conditional upon a decision by the Bulgarian authorities, before the end of 1999, on acceptable closure dates for Units 1-4 in Kozloduy nuclear power plant, and upon a confirmation of the significant progress accomplished in the economic reform process. In the case of Romania, and in line with human rights criteria, the opening of negotiations should be conditional on the confirmation of effective action announced by the Romanian authorities to provide adequate budgetary resources and to implement structural reform of child care institutions before the end of 1999; it is also conditional upon further assessment of the economic situation before negotiations are formally opened, in the expectation that appropriate measures will have been taken to address the macro-economic situation.
It will be necessary for all the candidate countries to fully comply with the Copenhagen criteria which encompass high standards in the field of human rights before they can Join the EU.
I have said above that negotiations so far with the "Ins" have covered some of the easier chapters of the acquis. Negotiations on more difficult chapters of the acquis such as agriculture will begin next year and most likely in the first six months of the year under the Portuguese Presidency. I have been asked about agriculture and Poland. I am in no doubt that negotiations on this chapter will be sensitive and difficult and I am very conscious of the size of the agriculture sector in Poland. At present, agriculture accounts for only 5 per cent of GDP, but for a quarter of total employment, reflecting low productivity. Trade in agricultural and food products between the EU and Poland is quite substantial at present, with EU imports and EU exports accounting for 1.04 billion euros and 1.7 billion euros respectively.
It is because of the importance of this question and of this sector that Agenda 2000 negotiations agreed the financing for the pre-accession instrument in the agriculture area which is known as SAPARD, an instrument established by the Council regulations of 21 June. The aid comes within the context of financial perspectives for 2000-2006, which provide for a maximum annual amount of 520 million euros for aid to agriculture. The objective of this instrument is to help the candidate countries to restructure and modernise their agriculture sectors in advance of EU membership.
Nonetheless, I expect that there will be difficult and complex negotiations with the applicant states in chapters such as agriculture and free movement of persons. These negotiations will involve experts from Ireland and our EU partners together with the relevant experts from the candidate countries and, no doubt, there will be a need to face up to some difficult questions and find appropriate and acceptable answers and compromises.
Let me turn now to the question of Turkey. Turkey's application for EU membership was tabled in 1987. In its recent report the Commission proposes that the time may now be right for the EU to formally endorse this candidature. Ireland broadly supports the position put forward by the Commission. However, no formal negotiations will begin with Turkey until that country fulfils the requirements of the Copenhagen criteria.
With regard to the situation in Cyprus, the European Union, and indeed the wider international community, wish to see an agreed political solution and a united Cyprus, within the bi-zonal bi-communal framework proposed by the United Nations. The EU recognises that Turkey has a positive role to play in contributing to a solution and has urged Turkey to be constructive on this issue. However, with regard to the issue of Turkey's eligibility for accession to the EU, the European Council at Luxembourg confirmed that Turkey will be judged on the same basis as that applied to the other applicant states.
As regards the application of Cyprus for EU membership, Cyprus is already engaged in detailed accession negotiations with the European Union and is one of the leading countries, at this stage, in respect of its state of preparedness for membership.
The Government strongly believes in the political importance and relevance of moving forward, in full compliance with the Copenhagen criteria, with the enlargement project.
