Enlargement talks on target despite crisis

Date: 25/03/1999

By Simon Taylor

Negotiations with the six countries leading the race to join the Union will take place on schedule despite the European Commission crisis which has forced a freeze on many areas of EU policy-making, insists the institution's chief negotiator.

Klaus van der Pas, head of the Commission's enlargement task force, says his team will continue its work on drawing up draft EU positions in time for crucial negotiating sessions over the next three months.

" The instructions from the Commissioner are that it is business as usual", he said, adding that this would allow negotiations on a further eight areas of EU legislation to take place before June, in line with the German presidency's timetable.

News of the Commission's resignation prompted initial concern in some applicant countries that the decision would delay the enlargement process. But as the full implications of the move became clearer, it was greeted positively by some candidates.

Jan Figel, Slovakia's state secretary for European integration, said during a visit to Brussels last week that the mass walkout could improve the Union's image in the applicant countries. "Europe is healing its problems. This is a test for European structures and a way to make them more transparent. It could give an encouraging message for countries wishing to join," he said.

Van der Pas firmly rejects suggestions that the decision taken by the Acting Commissioners last week not to launch any new political initiatives following their resignation could bring the enlargement process to a halt.

Before EU governments can discuss terms of entry for the six front-runners which have already begun formal negotiations, the Commission has to draw up common Union positions on the applicants' requests for concessions. Without these Commission papers, the process would stall.

Van der Pas said that the institution had recently finalised papers on telecommunications, external relations and customs union, and predicted that work on the three chapters on company law, free movement of goods and competition would be completed soon.

Work on seven 'chapters' of EU legislation was wrapped up in the second half of last year. Germany has promised it will complete negotiations on eight more by the end of its term in charge of EU business in June. This would bring the total number of chapters covered up to 15, or nearly half of the total 31 sectors.

While this is an important milestone, most of the difficult work still lies ahead on controversial sectors such as agriculture and environmental standards.

Feature on the impact of the resignation of the European Commission on the EU enlargement talks.