COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Brussels, 13.11.2001 SEC(2001) 1755 2001 REGULAR REPORT ON SLOVENIA’S PROGRESS TOWARDS ACCESSION 1 2001 REGULAR REPORT ON SLOVENIA’S PROGRESS TOWARDS ACCESSION *********************** 2 Table of contents A. Introduction.................................................................................... 6 a) Preface .....................................................................................................................6 b) Relations between the European Union and Slovenia.....................................8 Recent developments under the Association Agreement (including bilateral trade)............ 8 Accession Partnership / National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis .................. 9 Community aid .............................................................................................................. 9 Twinning ..................................................................................................................... 12 Negotiations / screening............................................................................................... 13 B. Criteria for membership.............................................................14 1. Political criteria ............................................................................. 14 Introduction................................................................................................................. 14 Recent developments................................................................................................... 14 1.1. Democracy and Rule of Law ...............................................................................15 The Parliament ............................................................................................................ 15 The Executive.............................................................................................................. 15 The judicial system...................................................................................................... 16 Anti-corruption measures............................................................................................. 17 1.2. Human rights and the protection of minorities .............................................18 Civil and political rights................................................................................................ 19 Economic, social and cultural rights.............................................................................. 20 Minority rights and the protection of minorities.............................................................. 21 1.3. General evaluation ..............................................................................................21 2. Economic criteria .......................................................................... 23 2.1. Introduction...........................................................................................................23 2.2. Economic developments......................................................................................23 2.3. Assessment in terms of the Copenhagen criteria...........................................26 The existence of a functioning market economy ............................................................ 26 The capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union...... 31 2.4. General evaluation...............................................................................................33 3. Ability to assume the obligations of membership.......................... 34 Introduction................................................................................................................. 34 3.1. The chapters of the acquis....................................................................................36 Chapter 1: Free movement of goods....................................................................36 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 38 Chapter 2: Free movement of persons ................................................................40 3 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 40 Chapter 3: Freedom to provide services.............................................................41 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 42 Chapter 4: Free movement of capital .................................................................43 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 44 Chapter 5: Company law.......................................................................................44 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 45 Chapter 6: Competition policy..............................................................................46 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 47 Chapter 7: Agriculture..........................................................................................47 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 52 Chapter 8: Fisheries..............................................................................................54 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 54 Chapter 9: Transport policy.................................................................................55 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 56 Chapter 10: Taxation ............................................................................................57 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 58 Chapter 11: Economic and monetary union.......................................................59 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 59 Chapter 12: Statistics............................................................................................59 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 60 Chapter 13: Social policy and employment........................................................60 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 61 Chapter 14: Energy................................................................................................62 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 64 Chapter 15: Industrial policy...............................................................................65 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 65 Chapter 16: Small and medium-sized enterprises............................................66 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 67 Chapter 17: Science and research......................................................................68 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 68 Chapter 18: Education and training...................................................................68 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 69 Chapter 19: Telecommunications and information technologies...................69 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 70 Chapter 20: Culture and audio-visual policy.....................................................70 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 71 Chapter 21: Regional policy and co-ordination of structural instruments...71 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 72 4 Chapter 22: Environment......................................................................................73 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 75 Chapter 23: Consumers and health protection..................................................76 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 77 Chapter 24: Co-operation in the field of justice and home affairs................77 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 79 Chapter 25: Customs union ..................................................................................81 Overall assessment ...................................................................................................... 81 Chapter 26: External