| Series Title | European Voice |
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| Series Details | Vol.8, No.36, 10.10.02, p2 |
| Publication Date | 10/10/2002 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date: 10/10/02 BULGARIA: Its request to be recognised as a fully-fledged market economy is accepted, but concern remains about political corruption and living conditions of the mentally handicapped. The country must honour pledges to shut down nuclear reactors at the Kozloduy complex. Cyprus: Nicosia has boosted the capacity of its administration to cope with burdens it will face after accession. But the island must devote attention to liberalising such sectors as telecoms, energy, postal services and air transport. Further progress is also needed to establish a fishing vessel register. Czech Republic: Prague is encouraged to reduce public spending and reform pension and health care schemes. It is also urged to reduce the time it takes for court cases to be concluded, to introduce a far-reaching anti-discrimination law, ensure stricter control over the use of EU funding and to align excise duties with the EU. Estonia: Must reduce dependency on shale oil deposits and boost renewable energy. Needs to modernise its fisheries sector and improve cooperation between agriculture and environment ministries. Delays in aligning its laws on air quality and radiation protection are noted. Talinn is praised for removing requirement that election candidates speak Estonian fluently. Hungary: Efforts to curb inflation need to be stepped up and wage levels brought more into line with productivity growth in order not to compromise competitiveness. Opening up of the electricity market is approved, but it needs to target the gas sector. Environment issues need to be tackled. Hungary's decision to take part in the international fight against money-laundering is given the thumbs-up. Latvia: Urged to reduce its backlog of court cases. Corruption remains a cause for concern. Conditions in food production plants must improve. And a closer eye needs to be kept on how EU funds are spent. Latvia receives some recognition of steps to ease the plight of linguistic minorities. Lithuania: Action against high unemployment is needed. The Commission says it will help bankroll the costs of closing two reactors at the Ignalina nuclear complex by 2009. Although progress on adapting to EU laws has been sustained, Vilnius must take more care on ecological questions like packaging and biocides. Malta: Poor progress in boosting administrative capacity to deal with EU farming and food safety norms is recorded. It has been slow to uphold EU laws on gender equality and the free movement of workers. Valletta is told to restructure large loss-making public enterprises, but is praised for its management of EU finances. Poland: Gets its knuckles rapped for not taking steps to better food safety standards. Similarly, it's urged to implement a scheme for registering farm animals and adopt laws on fisheries control. A new culture to stamp out bribery in both politics and business should be fostered. Romania: A largely negative assessment: judicial reform has been limited and prison conditions remain poor. Bucharest is asked to respect agreements on keeping the public sector wage bill down. Generally, the country is on the road to a market economy. A decision to demilitarise its police gets the seal of approval. Slovakia: High unemployment necessitates a range of structural reforms, including a shake-up of its social welfare system. Civil service has achieved a significant, though fragile, capacity to implement EU legislation. Slovenia: Concrete measures on judicial reform get a pat on the back. Yet it is asked to show greater resolve in economic changes. Delays in removing restrictions to foreign investors, in establishing a register of fishing boats and in transposing directive on preventing pollution are noted. Turkey: The abolition of capital punishment in peacetime and lifting of the state of emergency in the Kurdish-dominated south east are praised. But human rights protection needs to be strengthened. Ankara is chastised for not allowing detainees prompt access to lawyers, harassment of journalists and for banning Islamist politician Recep Tayyip Erdogan from running in the 3 November election. The European Commission has confirmed it is ready to welcome ten new countries into the European Union at the beginning of 2004. |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
| Countries / Regions | Cyprus, Eastern Europe, Malta |
