Applicants warned to speed up reforms

Date: 11/05/2000

By John Shelley

THE European Commission is warning the leading applicants for EU membership that they need to do much more to comply with strict Union rules on border controls and justice issues.

In its first official reaction to the 'first-wave' applicants' own assessment of how far they have moved towards bringing national legislation into line with the EU's justice and home affairs rules, the Commission will tell all six leading candidates that they still have a great deal of work to do.

Performance varies among the pack, with Cyprus making the most progress and Estonia also winning praise for its efforts. But the Union executive will warn all six that they have yet to convince existing member states that they are moving fast enough on issues ranging from bringing asylum policy into line to harmonising visa requirements and improving customs operations.

"I think it would be fair to say that all the applicants have made progress," said one official. "The progress has been more substantial for some than others, but all the candidates still have work to do. There will be a clear message to the candidates that they must implement these things properly."

The warning comes in a document drawn up ahead of the start of negotiations on the justice and home affairs chapter with the front-runners later this month. Officials say allaying existing member states' concerns in these areas is crucial to respond to fears that enlargement could open the doors to a flood of illegal immigrants via the Union's future eastern borders.

The six leading applicants - Hungary, Poland, Cyprus, Estonia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia - all insist that they will bring their border controls, judicial systems and police services up to scratch in time for accession. But Commission officials say these claims need to be backed up by ratification of international crime conventions and proof of on-the-ground implementation.

Reactions to the report from the candidate countries have been mixed.

A Hungarian diplomat claimed that instead of expressing genuine concerns about progress in these areas, the Union's continual demands for more information were a smokescreen thrown up to slow down the enlargement talks. "Some of the questions seem to have already been asked and answers to them already given. This seems to be following the usual EU pattern of trying to stall the process," he said.

But Slovenian diplomats welcomed the paper. "Obviously this report is saying that lots has to be done still, there is a whole list of things which we have to provide, but this is normal procedure," said one. "From our point of view, this is an extremely important chapter. It is a very sensitive part of the acquis, but I think Slovenia is already relatively well prepared."

The European Commission is warning the leading applicants for EU membership that they need to do much more to comply with strict Union rules on border controls and justice issues.