France seeks tougher EU accession criteria

By Andrew Beatty

Date: 18/05/06

Tough new criteria for EU membership would be agreed at next month's June summit under proposals that are currently being circulated by France.

The French government is pressing EU leaders to make the criteria for further expansion more rigorous by taking into account the Union's ability to absorb new members.

The proposals will be discussed by EU foreign ministers at an informal meeting at the end of next week (27-28 May) to discuss the future of Europe.

'Absorption capacity' has been discussed since the EU's current criteria for membership were drawn up in 1993 but has often been overshadowed by other conditions. Until now the focus has fallen on the acceding country's ability to enforce EU rules.

But French President Jacques Chirac is now pressing for the EU to set out more explicitly its absorption capacity.

Under proposals put forward by France, the EU would have to take into account the ability of the institutions to function after enlargement and for the EU to pay for current policies.

France would also like to see the EU take the opinion of its citizens into account.

According to a draft text, "the European Union must fully take into account the views of its citizens on continuing the enlargement process, which is an essential aspect of the European project".

Following the rejection of the EU constitution in France and the Netherlands last year, Chirac caused controversy by pledging to put future enlargements to a referendum in France.

The French proposals are controversial since they would make accession difficult for candidate countries in the western Balkans, as well as Turkey.

According to the latest Eurobarometer poll, around 55% of EU citizens oppose Turkey's membership. The same poll showed less than half supported any future enlargement.

Diplomats from other member states questioned the timing of the proposals. Some are pressing for the discussion to be delayed to avoid any further questions over Romanian and Bulgarian accession.

"We don't expect a deep debate at this stage," said a Commission official. But the official added that absorption was an issue not only for France, as MEPs too had asked for clarification.

A spokesperson for the Austrian presidency of the EU said that discussions were ongoing, with some member states arguing that the Council should wait for Enlargement Commis- sioner Olli Rehn's report on absorption before making any concrete recommendations. Rehn's report is expected in the second half of this year.

But French diplomats defended the decision to deal with the matter now. Under the French proposals, the European Commission and Council of Ministers would be tasked with elaborating the concept.

The Commission would also be asked to provide its assessment of the EU's current absorption capacity before each new wave of enlargement.

Turkish diplomats sought to play down the proposals. "We have been aware since 1993 that absorption capacity has been an issue, not just for us," said one Turkish diplomat.

"We would not like to join a club that cannot absorb new members. We are not joining to destroy the EU."

Croatia's chief negotiator on membership said it was too early to comment on the proposals.

Article reports on proposals put forward by France on future enlargement of the EU, to be discussed at the European Council meeting on 15-16 June 2006. The French government suggested to make the criteria for further expansion more rigorous by taking into account the Union's ability to absorb new members as well as public opinion in the Member States. Before the European Council the proposals were to be discussed by EU Foreign Ministers at an informal meeting on 27-28 May 2006 on the future of Europe.

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