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Together /I[ Europe FORTNIGHTLY BUREAU DE DEPOT BRUXELLES "X" 1st November 1994 - If 57 +*+ t I TOGETHER .l * .r * t+* /I[ EUROPE EC NEWSLETTER FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE REI"ATIONS WITII THE COMMT]NITY CONTENT5 ACCESSION STRATEGY FOR ASSOCIATED REI,ATIONS COINTNES WITH THE COMMT]NITY The meeting in Luxembourg on 31 October between the EU Council of Foreign Ministers and their counterparts from the ACCESSION STRATEffi 1 Associated Countries ofcentral and eastern Europe was singularly characterized as a "historical" meeting. Formally it was the first POLISH WEW OF DR,4FT meetingunder the framework of strategtof accession as opressed STPATEw 2 in the conclusions of the Copenhagen and Corfu European Coun- cils. It was also the first meeting which was held in advance of the GLOBAL POLIff FOR THE ECCouncil meeti.g so that the normalmeeting could take into BALNCS 1 account the proposals and attitudes elpressed. Thetwo andhalf hour debate wassubstantial.A significant NEGOTUNONS WTT.H oonvergence of views has been reached and this may permit the SLOWNU 5 Council to finalize, by the end of Norrcmber, the final document on the Strategl to Prepare the Countries of central and EUROPEAN TRAINING easternEurope forAccession for the Essen EuropeanCouncil in FOWDATTON 5 December. There is certain disappointment that there is not yet a ROITUNU-EU TOINT formal decision on ajoint meetingat Essen between the European COMMITTEE 6 Council andtheHeads of State and Governmentof the associated countries. Mr. Kinkel conlirmed that there was an agreement in DEFINITIW ANN.DUMPING principle to hold such meeting but no formal decision. DAW ON METAL-CI4LCruM- Sources in the German Presidency suggested to us, that a APPEALTOCOURT 6 fair amount of exchange of views among the Member Countries still needs to be made before the strategl plan would be ready AGNCWTURE COUNCIL for approrral and for presentation to the heads of state of the APPROWS IMPROWMENTS associated countries. Perhaps one or trpo informal Council mee- IN TMDE WTTH HUNGARY tiagp would be necessary in late November or early December. &POI.1IND 7 The discussion concentrated on five points: l. Approximation of associated countries legislation to that STABILITYPACT 7 of the EU, so that the associated countries could participate in the EU's Internal market. DEVEII)PMENTS 2. Cooperation in Justice and Home Affairs. WITHIN THE EC 3. Future developments in Phare Assistance. 4. Regional cooperation in central and eastern Europe. 5. Cooperation in training and culture. NEWCOMMISSION I Mr. Alain JupF, French Foreign Minister, opened the discussion on point 1, aligrment with the Internal Market. Mr. Jupp6 concentrated on the White Book on the approximation of BRIEFNEWS 11 legislation which will be presented during the French Presidency (conthured on page 2) TOGETHER IN EUROPE 1st November 19P,4 (see page I) in 1995. The minister said that the Europe Agree- to tackle these problems. ments already contain some provisions and obliga- Financial Cooperation: The discussion on tions in this sense, but the task of aligrment is consid- future of Phare Assistance underlined the need to erably more important. The minister recalled that the foresee more long-term and effective planning. All EU member countries had to undergo a fundamental recoguize, that Phare is important, but needs to be transformation of their economic regulations and made more effective and more oriented towards structures in the wake of the White Paper on the investment. Theassociated countrieswant to drop the Completion ofthe Internal market presentedin 1985. l5Vo cefingfor Phare resources which could be used "The accession presumes that your countries can take for financing investments. all of the acquis communautaire on board" said the Human dimension: Culture and education are Minister. the essential elements for rapprochement between Following the meeting Minister Kinkel said the the EU and the Associated Countries. The President EU welcomed the suggestion made by the associated of the Council emphasized that culture was, during countries to set up a special task force on approxima- the cold war period, the principal bridge among the tion of legislation. Sir I-eon Brittan said on behalf of European people. The emphasis on this human di- the Commission that the Commission envisages cre- mension is an integral part ofthe pre-accession strat- ating a special unit to provide necessary technical egy. The member states will have to do more in this assistance. We believe that expert level discussionwith field than the Union, and this fits well into the the associated countries on the White Paper could be principle of subsidiarity. held as early as November 21. Following the morning meeting and a working Regional Cooperation: Mr. Kinkel empha- lunch during which 22 foreigr ministers discussed sized that this does not mean that the EU shall deal current international policy, Polish Minister with the associated countries as a "block". This coop- Olechowski and Hungarian foreigr minister Mr. eration means the cooperation among the associated Kovac each held separate press conferences. countries towards achieving afree trade area. This, for Mr. Olechowski stressed that Poland aims to join the exampld; concerns rules of origin, development and EU as soon as possible and underlined the impor- liberalization of transport, competition policy etc. It is tance of a timetable for membership. This will be an clear that if the associated countries implemented important stimulus to speed approximation of legisla- common rules of origin it would fundamentally facili- tion to the requirements of the EU internal market. tate regional cooperation and favor inflow of direct Accession shall be a subject of individual negotia- investment. The aim, according to Kinkel, is to ensure tions, even if coordination is possible. Minister Kovac the region's economic improvement and thus its politi- hoped that accession negotiations would start imme- cal stability. Regional cooperationneeds tobe consid- diately after the 196 Intergovernmental Conference. ered as proper preparation for accession and for The Minister accepted it is impossible to expect a operating in the multilateral framework. concrete timetable before the 1996 Intergovernmen- Justice and Internal matters: President of tal Conference. Answering questions, Mr. Kovac said the Council said it is necessary that the "Berlin that each country seeking accession needs to be Declaration" (cf No. 5a p. a) is rapidly put into prac- treated on its own merits. ticc. The minister emphasized the importance that Sir I-eon Brittan expressed his personal close cooperation in the fight against drug traflicking satisfaction with the progress in preparing the car theft, traflicking of nuclear substances, illegal Strategy for Accession for which he was mostly immigration etc. has gained in Germany, which responsible and said that the meeting produced a expects that the associated countries will do more "quantum leap". r POLISH WEWON DRAFT STRATEG.Y Since earlyJuly"Togetherin Europe"has rtported on the paperbeingprepared fortheEssen Summit "The Europe Agreements and Beyond: A strategr to prepare the countries ofcentral and eastern Europe for accession". The associated countries have taken a number ofopportunities to express their attitudes to the draft strategy. But it seems that rnost detailed and comprehensive attitudewas expressed by Poland. Poland handed its memorandum "Poland's Expectations Regarding Accelerating lntegration with the EU,'to the 6'Comments EU on 2 August. This was firllowed on 24 October by extensive and Suggestions" prrpared by the Polish Forcign Affairs Ministry. 1st November l9)4 TOGETHERIN EUROPE Polandwelcomes with satis- rules in effect in the EU. State aid Europe, and overall Poland wel- faction the effort to prepare a Strat- to the economy is being modified comes the proposed integration of egy for Accessioq but notes that and by 195 the system of state the associated countries into a the basic shortcoming of the Strat- aid will be aligrred with that of the single European transport area. In egt paper is the lack of a time Community. the field of agrlculture Poland horizon for implementing the strat- understands that the tronsforma- egy. The strategy should contain Enhancing trade opportunities: tion process in the associated specific proposals for already pro' Poland suggests at the Pres- countries must be accelerated, moting greater aooess to the EU ent stage to set up an earlY warning and notes that moderate protec- market. system on the application of market tion of the agricultural market, in l, Sttucured relationship with the protection measures and practice accordance with GATT rules is instiutions of the EU: Poland wel- holding preliminary consultations necessary. But ajointreviewof the comes the proposals for individual with the associated countries during options should go far beyond the meetings and suggests the possibil- the investigation of complaints by framework of harmonizing the ity to eldend the dialogue to all the Commission. Concerning the Association Agreements with the fields of cooperation, including cumulation of origin Poland notes Uruguay Round and should pro- agriculture and the labour market. that a decision was taken already duce a comprehenslve strategr 2. Cooperation in the ftelds oflustice one year ago at the Copenhagen for ln&grating the agrlcultural and Home Affars: The associated Summit, but that it has not yet been sector of assoclatcd countrles countries need to be involved as put
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