Activites

• 1998/04/06 Final act published in Official Journal
• #2073
• 1998/03/16 Council Meeting
• 1998/03/11 Debate in Parliament
  • T4-0132/1998 summary

    In adopting the report by Mr Arie OOSTLANDER (PPE, NL) on the proposals for decisions on the principles, priorities, intermediate objectives and conditions contained in the accession partnerships, Parliament regretted that the Commission and Council had refused formally to consult Parliament on the draft Decisions. It asked to be formally invited to give its opinion in future, before any decision entailing a possible change to the accession partnerships was taken. It regretted, in particular, that some of the points to which it had drawn attention in its resolution of 4 December 1997 (AGENDA 2000 - COS/1997/2183) were included among the objectives to be attained in the medium term, and called for them to be attained in the short term. It called for the abolition of the death penalty to be included among the objectives for all applicant countries, and called on the Commission to develop a strategy for human rights and the rights of minorities in each country. It called on the Commission to introduce as a short-term priority the creation of conditions to make the abolition of visa requirements feasible and for financial resources also to be available for sectors such as health care. It called for institution-building to be made a new priority so as to strengthen regional and local authorities in the countries concerned. It hoped that the partnerships would enhance cross-border cooperation in all sectors, especially at the external borders of the Union, thereby demonstrating to public opinion the benefits of enlargement.

• 1998/03/09 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0087/1998
• 1998/02/04 Non-legislative basic document published
  • COM(1998)0053 summary

    OBJECTIVE: defining for each of the applicants for accession in Central and Eastern Europe a programme of work setting out the priorities and short and medium term objectives regarding accession to the Union ('accession partnerships'). SUBJECT: The proposal for a regulation on assistance to the applicant countries in Central and Eastern Europe in the framework of the pre-accession strategy (CNS/1997/0351) states that the principles, priorities and intermediate objectives of accession shall be contained in the individual 'accession partnerships' to be adopted by the Council on a proposal from the Commission. This proposal accordingly sets out the short and medium term objectives and priorities for each of the countries concerned. Concerning the substance of these partnership agreements, which provide a standard framework setting out all pre-accession assistance (Phare, European agreements, etc.), the Commission has consulted the countries concerned in drawing up an outline of measures to be taken sector by sector, the applicant countries being required to establish a number of priorities and a timetable for their realization. For each of the countries concerned, the priorities combine national objectives with the implementation of the Community acquis. They are divided into two groups: 1) Priority questions to be settled in 1998 which will be given particular attention in the Commission report at the end of 1998 on each of the applicant countries. 2) Medium-term objectives to be reached after a few years. The short-term objectives concern economic reform, reinforcement of institutional administrative capacity, measures to speed up the implementation of internal market rules, implementation of the justice and home affairs programme (in particular national programmes to combat corrupting and organized crime) and the adoption and implementation of environmental strategies and reform of the energy sector (in particular nuclear energy). Where appropriate, measures of a political nature are also envisaged (facilities for refugees, naturalization etc). In the longer term, measures to consolidate economic, political and regulatory action already commenced, together with the full restructuring of the agricultural sector to bring it into line with the common agricultural policy are envisaged. This will be accompanied by medium-term measures with regard to the Euro and the application of convergence criteria to the countries concerned (these countries are not expected to adopt the Euro immediately on accession), implementation of an economic and social cohesion policy (regional policy), and the development of appropriate strategies in the field of employment and social affairs. With regard to programming, pre-accession aid will be set for each country for the period 1998-1999 (as part of the Phare programme), together with follow-up measures. Assistance will be conditional upon full respect for the provisions of the association agreements and the accession criteria established in Copenhagen (Agenda 2000 - COS/1997/2183). The Council must decide on the partnership agreements by 15 March 1998, following adoption of the framework regulation (CNS/1997/0351).

Documents

• Non-legislative basic document published: COM(1998)0053
• Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A4-0087/1998
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0132/1998

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)