Finian McGrath
Ceist:468 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if rejection of the Nice treaty means that other countries cannot become members of the EU. [15459/02]
Written Answers. - EU Treaties.
The Treaty of Nice was agreed by all 15 member states of the European Union in December 2000. As its preamble states, it is intended to complete the process started by the Treaty of Amsterdam of preparing the institutions of the European Union to function in an enlarged Union.
The treaty represents the shared assessment of the existing member states of the changes necessary to ensure that the institutions of the European Union continue to work efficiently and effectively after the accession of up to 12 new member states.
The intention is that ten of the 12 countries negotiating to join will be in a position to sign an Accession Treaty in early 2003, so as to join the Union in 2004. The institutional aspects of that treaty are to be as set out in the Treaty of Nice.
If the Treaty of Nice is not ratified, there is no agreed basis on which these countries will be able to join the EU as planned.