Slovakia seeks to accelerate accession talks

Date: 08/06/2000

By Simon Taylor

SLOVAKIA is hoping to start talks on half of the 31 EU policy areas which must be tackled as part of its accession negotiations by the end of this year in a bid to catch up with the first wave of applicant countries.

Bratislava has already closed talks with the Union in six policy areas, and hopes to add ten more by the end of this year. Speaking ahead of an Association Council meeting in Luxembourg next week, officials said Slovakia would like to tackle fisheries, social policy and employment, industrial policy, consumer policy, health protection and customs between now and the end of December.

Bratislava is hoping to join the Union at the same time as its neighbour, the Czech Republic, which started negotiations in 1998 and is expecting to open talks on all areas of EU legislation by the end of this year. Slovakia only began formal negotiations with the Union in April this year.

The six applicant countries in the second wave are confident that they can catch up with the front-runners as the pace of negotiations with the latter group slows because of the political sensitivity of chapters such as agriculture and the free movement of people.

The second wavers believe that they will be able to wind up talks more quickly because the Union will already have finalised its position in these controversial areas through negotiations with the leading group.

At next week's meeting, the EU will urge Slovakia to press ahead with its plans to privatise state-owned banks Sporitelna, VUB and IRB and the Slovak Telecommunications company. Bratislava's treatment of its Roma minority will also be discussed.

In a general stocktaking on Slovakia's preparations for membership, Bratislava will inform the Union of plans to require visas for visitors from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus as part of moves to bring its policy into line with the EU's regime.

Slovakia is hoping to start talks on half of the 31 EU policy areas which must be tackled as part of its accession negotiations by the end of 2000 in a bid to catch up with the first wave of applicant countries.