MEPs take tough line on enlargement talks

Date: 05/10/00

By John Shelley

EURO MPs are calling for applicant countries knocking at the EU's door to be denied some of the basic rights associated with membership when they first join.

In a report adopted this week, the European Parliament argues that workers from new entrants should not be given full free movement rights immediately and that their farmers should be denied some of the subsidies which existing member states currently enjoy.

The paper - supported by the three largest political groups in the assembly - also takes a tough line on other key issues, calling for new members to be given limited leeway when it comes to bringing their environmental protection standards up to scratch and improving their record on social provisions and equality.

But MEPs deny the report shows they are negative about enlargement, arguing its tough tone reflects the fact that they are tackling the realities of difficult issues which EU governments have so far tip-toed around in ongoing enlargement negotiations.

"We repeat our support for the enlargement process," said German MEP Klaus Hänsch, the Socialist Group's spokesman on the subject. "This is not scepticism; this is only outlining where problems have to be solved."

The report, adopted by a full Parliament yesterday (4 October), was drawn up by German centre-right MEP Elmar Brok on the basis of observations on the enlargement process made by each parliamentary committee.

In it, MEPs call for transition periods to be introduced between the time applicants join the Union and the time their nationals are allowed to work freely anywhere in the EU. "We know that transition periods are necessary. They are necessary for both sides in the negotiations," said Hänsch. "We will ratify the treaty only when transitional periods are agreed that are not counter to the interests of the Union."

The report also maintains that farmers in new member states should only be given very limited subsidies, arguing that they should receive funding for structural changes but that direct aid should be handed out only when price falls actually cut their incomes. This is a far cry from the automatic direct subsidies which many EU farmers currently enjoy.

MEPs also argue that applicants should be given a maximum of five years to bring their environmental standards into line with Union rules, and say that easy-to-implement EU directives should come into force from the day they join.

But the report does offer some consolation for candidate countries.

The Parliament favours letting them join as and when they are ready rather than waiting for a group to enter the EU at the same time. They also called for the Union to take in the first wave of new members by 2004 at the latest.

Euro MPs are calling for applicant countries knocking at the EU's door to be denied some of the basic rights associated with membership when they first join. In a report adopted on 4.10.00 the European Parliament argues that workers from new entrants should not be given full free movement rights immediately and that their farmers should be denied some of the subsidies which existing Member States currently enjoy.