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EU Membership.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 July 2004

Tuesday, 6 July 2004

Questions (195, 196, 197)

Paudge Connolly

Question:

228 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding the EU application of the Republic of Croatia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20016/04]

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Written answers

Croatia applied for membership of the European Union in February 2003. In April 2003, the General Affairs and External Relations Council requested the Commission to prepare its opinion on the application. The opinion was completed in April 2004. I am pleased that the European Council in Brussels on 18 June decided, on the basis of the Commission opinion, that Croatia is a candidate country for membership of the EU and that the accession process should be launched. The European Council decided to convene a bilateral intergovernmental conference with Croatia early in 2005 in order to begin negotiations.

In preparation for the opening of negotiations with Croatia, the Council will agree a general negotiating framework, taking full account of the experience of the current enlargement process. As requested by the European Council, the Commission is preparing an evaluation in this regard and will prepare a pre-accession strategy for Croatia, including the necessary financial instrument. The negotiations with Croatia will be based on Croatia's own merits and the pace of progress will depend solely on the fulfilment of the requirements for membership.

At the start of Ireland's Presidency of the EU, the Government set as an objective the maintenance of the priority attached to the western Balkans through the strengthened policy framework for relations between the EU and the region. This framework provides for individual progress by the countries of the western Balkans towards integration into European structures, in the context of closer regional co-operation. The June European Council reaffirmed its commitment to the agenda agreed at the EU-western Balkans Summit in Thessaloniki in June last year, which makes clear that the future of the Western Balkans rests within the European Union. The achievement of candidate status by Croatia, in addition to the progress over the past six months in implementing the Thessaloniki agenda, should be an encouragement to the other countries of the western Balkans to pursue the detailed reform process which will enable closer relations with the EU. I believe that it underlines the seriousness of the commitment made by the European Union that the stabilisation and association process is a framework for closer relations, based on the implementation of wide-ranging reforms, leading to eventual accession by the countries of the Western Balkans.

Paudge Connolly

Question:

229 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding the EU application of Bulgaria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20017/04]

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Paudge Connolly

Question:

230 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding the EU application of Romania; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20018/04]

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I propose to take Questions Nos. 229 and 230 together.

The European Council in December 2003 laid down a timetable for the accession of both Bulgaria and Romania. It envisaged the conclusion of negotiations with both countries in 2004, signature of the accession treaty in early 2005 and accession in January 2007, if each country is ready.

The European Council on 17-18 June 2004 noted with great satisfaction that all of the outstanding chapters in the negotiations with Bulgaria had been provisionally closed and that Romania had also made important progress and is substantially closer to achieving the goal of concluding its negotiations by the end of this year. The Council further stated that drafting of the accession treaty for both countries should begin this month, with a view to signature as early as possible in 2005. Both countries were urged to intensify their efforts in order to be ready for membership in January 2007.

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