Santer faces rough ride on Baltic tour

Date: 30/10/1997

By Mark Turner

EUROPEAN Commission President Jacques Santer is likely find a bridge-building trip to the Baltic states next week an uphill struggle.

During a flying visit to the region - the first Commission presidency trip there for several years - he will try to convince Lithuania and Latvia not to see their exclusion from early EU enlargement negotiations as a political snub.

“Apparently, the message we are giving and the reasons for the message are not properly understood,” said Commission spokesman Nikolaus van der Pas. “We hope to explain our attitude, and let these countries know they are still welcome in the European Union.”

But as the debate intensifies within the EU over how eastwards expansion should be handled, and Denmark and Sweden continue to push for Lithuanian and Latvian inclusion in talks next year, Santer can expect a critical reception.

Although Baltic diplomats admit privately that the Commission will not change its assessment of their EU eligibility before next year, they will bombard Santer with evidence of their economic advances in 1997. “Our main aim is to give him an improved understanding of the Latvian situation, and current developments,” said a spokesman for Latvia's mission to the EU.

His government will draw attention to rapid growth in the country's gross domestic product this year (9.1&percent; in the second quarter), a sharp increase in industrial output (a 6.3&percent; rise in the same period), inflation of under 10&percent;, a new EU legislation action plan and Latvia's commitment to sell its remaining state monopolies by next year.

Similarly, Lithuania will boast of an estimated doubling of foreign direct investment this year compared to the past five years, advances in price liberalisation, a new bankruptcy law and its intention to sell off 14 major state monopolies.

Both countries feel upset that these changes, which took place after the Commission gathered information for its avis, will not be reflected in the decision taken by EU leaders in December on which countries should be invited to start negotiations. “We will be asking exactly what we should do so negotiations should be opened,” said a spokesman for the Lithuanian mission. “So far we have not heard that from the Commission.”

They may, however, find their pleas fall on deaf ears. The Commission has no intention of altering its opinions, and many EU governments are unimpressed by their claims.

Although they privately admit the line between Estonia and Latvia is occasionally rather grey, western European experts see little chance of the latter beginning talks in early 1998, and the third Baltic state is still way below the pass line.

As a result, Lithuania and its allies launched a campaign this week for simultaneous membership negotiations with all democratic applicants.

“This appeal reflects the rapidly increasing feeling among politicians that the present position of the European Commission leads to unwanted and negative consequences in Europe as a whole,” said a group of 15 former presidents, prime ministers and politicians from EU member states.