The Week in Europe 20-25/11/02

10.12.2002 | Euroskop

The Week in Europe 20-25/11/02

EU news in brief

Prestige oil spill: EU stands by affected fishermen and fish and shellfish farmers

EU Fisheries Commissioner Franz Fischler declared that the Commission would do everything it can to help fishermen affected by the oil spill. "I feel for the fishermen on the Spanish coast. Through no fault of their own, they now are part of this disastrous oil spill, and their livelihoods are threatened. The EU won't let them down. Fishermen who have to stop their fisheries activities because of this ecological disaster can count on EU aid to compensate them for the temporary cessation of their activities. Spain has earmarked € 117.7 million under the FIFG (Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance) for this purpose. FIFG can also provide financial support to affected fish and shellfish farmers for the cleaning or replacement of damaged equipment. It is now up to the Spanish authorities to make use of this money. If it turns out that these sums are not enough they can disburse additional FIFG money following a re-programming."

[Background paper IP/02/1714]

European Commission proposes 5 European benchmarks for education and training systems in Europe

Responding to the challenges set by the Lisbon European Council of making Europe, by 2010, the most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy in the world, the European Commission and the member states are working on the definition and implementation of joint objectives for education and training systems. In the communication that has now been adopted by the Commission, we propose five European benchmarks for education and training, notably in areas such as drop-out rates or number of graduates in mathematics, science and technology. These benchmarks will be useful for implementing the joint objectives for education and training systems.

[Background paper IP/02/1710]

Pan-European Interchange of Data between Administrations: nine candidate countries soon to follow the example of Slovenia and Poland

The European Commission decided that from next year administrations in 11 candidate countries will be able to exchange data with EU Member States' administrations as regards application of EU law, enforcement of Internal Market rules, and supply of e-Government services across borders to citizens and enterprises. The system that allows Interchange of Data between Administrations (IDA) was first extended to Slovenia and Poland (see IP/02/902), and will be open to Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia on 1 January 2003. Stepping up data exchange will accelerate the candidates' take-up of EU legislation before they formally join the Union, thereby safeguarding security and freedom of movement in the enlarged Europe.

For a full description of IDA actions, see

http://europa.eu.int/ISPO/ida/jsps/index.jsp?fuseAction=home

[Background paper IP/02/1715]

”We could have avoided the PRESTIGE oil spill” says Loyola de Palacio at the European Parliament.

In her intervention in the plenary session of the European Parliament, Loyola de Palacio, Vice-President in charge of transport and energy, made clear that such a disaster could have been avoided if all the proposals made by the European Commission would have been fully adopted and implemented. She called on the Member States to apply fully the existing and new legislation and informed the European Parliament that the Commission studies new measures. ”The accident with the PRESTIGE underlines that the measures agreed at Community level after the ERIKA incident address the heart of the matter and need to be fully implemented urgently,” she said. ”Therefore I have written to all Member States to call on them to accelerate and anticipate as far as possible the new EU legislation,” she explained.

Background information on the accident and maritime safety measures is available on DG TREN website at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/themes/maritime/english/safety/index_safety.html

[Background paper IP/02/1721]

Eurostat news releases

Regions: Statistical yearbook 2002. A tool for analysing regional differences (Data on 266 regions of the EU and the candidate countries)

Eurostat has published the 2002 edition of the Statistical yearbook of the EU Regions. This publication illustrates both the EU's regional diversity and the links which have developed over recent years between regions, including across national borders. For the 211 regions of the EU as defined by level 2 of the Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics, the Yearbook sets out some general socio-economic data: population, GDP, labour force and unemployment. It investigates in greater detail certain economic sectors (agriculture and transport) and some transverse economic themes: scientific and technological developments, the structure of business. Finally, the daily life of Europeans in their own region is depicted through statistics on health, the environment and urbanisation. The publication also presents the indicators available for 55 regions in 12 of the candidate countries.

[Background paper STAT/02/136]

Enlargement news

EU sets a date for fifth enlargement

The European Union's General Affairs Council - the Council where the EU's foreign ministers come together - moved enlargement decisively ahead at its 18 November meeting. Most conspicuously, the EU gave - for the first time - a firm date for the accession of new member states: 1 May 2004. This date has been selected as the earliest feasible date after the ratification process of the Accession Treaty, scheduled for signature in April 2003, after negotiations are satisfactorily concluded with the leading candidate countries at the December Copenhagen summit. The new member states will thus be able to take part in the European Parliament elections of June 2004, and they will also be able to play a full part in the Inter-Governmental Conference at which a new EU Treaty is to be drafted. Each candidate country will also be entitled to one Commissioner - without portfolio - in the current Commission, which will remain in office until November 2004; at this point it is expected to hand over to a new Commission duly endorsed by the new European Parliament.

Foreign affairs ministers also agreed on a scenario for the Copenhagen summit on December 12-13, and for the preparations and negotiations between now and then. For the summit, it was agreed that the European Council should take all necessary decisions to conclude negotiations with the ten candidate countries identified at the Brussels summit in October (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovak Republic, Slovenia), and decide on a detailed road map with timetables and increased pre-accession assistance for Bulgaria and Romania, as well as the next stage of Turkey's candidature. And the European Council will discuss initial reports from the Presidency on the reform of the Council Presidency and on the use of languages in the context of enlargement.

For the negotiations, the principal objective is to complete as much as possible before the Copenhagen summit. So the Presidency and the European Commission have been given responsibility for preparing individual packages for each of the candidates, which will be presented to them this week in bilateral sessions, in a bid to complete the talks at formal ministerial-level negotiating sessions in Brussels on December 9.

Ministers also agreed the precise maximum figure for direct payments to farmers for the EU 25 until 2013, in the light of the decision in principle at the Brussels summit in October. At current prices, in € millions, the ceiling will be 42,979 in 2004, 44,474 in 2005, 45,306 in 2006, 45,759 in 2007, 46,217 in 2008, 46,679 in 2009, 47,146 in 2010, 47,617 in 2011, 48,093 in 2012, and 48,574 in 2013.

Among the main out-standing issues on which negotiations have to be completed with the candidates are agriculture (quotas, level and phasing in of direct payments, and national topping-up of EU payments), budget (cash-flow, costs linked to EU membership) and some leftovers from other chapters - including competition, transport, and institutions with one or another candidate. "Member states and candidates have the political will to try to solve the outstanding issues before Copenhagen", said Danish foreign affairs minister Per Stig Moller after the meeting. And European Enlargement Commissioner Günter Verheugen said the discussions at ministerial level had cleared the way for the final step: there was still a long list of open questions but a result was still feasible if everyone was flexible and pragmatic.

And, on a more cautionary tone, EU foreign affairs minister agreed conclusions at the General Affairs Council on the protection of EU financial interests and the fight against fraud, which reiterated the importance the EU "attaches to the participation of third countries, and especially the candidate countries, in action to fight fraud, and to their co-operation with OLAF." Ministers invited the Commission to present a full summary of activities and actions undertaken in this field in its 2002 annual report on fighting fraud.

25 foreign affairs ministers get together in Brussels

Foreign affairs ministers from the candidate countries met their counterparts from the EU member states in the margins of the November 18 General Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels. In what could be their last meeting before negotiations are concluded with many of them at the Copenhagen summit in December, ministers had a chance to discuss what each side wanted from a Copenhagen result - and what each side could reasonably hope to get.

On agriculture, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic want shorter transitional periods for direct payments, and many candidates want more EU flexibility on quotas (particularly on milk, beef and sugar), or rural development funding. Hungary, Slovenia, Cyprus, Estonia and Slovakia want national top-up possibilities for payments to farmers, since joining the common agricultural policy could cut farmers' revenues.

On financial questions, most candidate countries have expressed concern that they will not immediately benefit from EU policies - and they want a more realistic evaluation of financial flows in the first year of membership. Hungary, Slovenia and Estonia have expressed clear disappointment at the € 23 billion envisaged for structural actions in 2004-2006. Poland, Slovakia and Estonia have urged EU attention to the budgetary problems the new member states would face in meeting their commitments, and regretted the limited financial envelope decided on by the EU.

On other matters, Slovakia is concerned at the costs of meeting the Schengen acquis, and wants assurances of assistance after 2006 with decommissioning costs for units at its Bohunice nuclear power plant. Hungary wants better terms on the competition chapter and more seats in the European Parliament. Slovenia is insisting on generous rural development allocations and on EU aid for the cost of maintaining external EU borders. Cyprus wants border costs help too, as well as funding for northern Cyprus. Malta wants special treatment on VAT for food and medicines. The Czech Republic is insisting on a satisfactory deal on cabotage in the transport chapter of the negotiations; and, like Hungary, it wants more seats in the European Parliament.

Poland's foreign affairs minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz said: "I am not satisfied with the present EU offer on agriculture - we have to a make a last effort to upgrade and increase direct payments and reduce transitional periods and increase quotas". Slovakia's foreign affairs minister Eduard Kukan showed no readiness to withdraw his country's requests - particularly on agriculture quotas and on the costs of borders. Estonian Foreign Minister Kristiina Ojuland said the full financial framework agreed by EU leaders in Berlin in 1999 should be used: "Estonia is of the opinion that the overall EU financial offer can be improved at least by the margin left under the expenditure ceilings agreed in Berlin," she suggested, pointing out that Estonia's goal in the negotiations is overall improvement of the financial package on offer.

And Lithuania's foreign affairs minister Antonis Valionis said he was still insisting on adequate milk and sugar quotas for his country, and that on the Ignalina nuclear power plant, "we are close to a final agreement on figures and categories of costs for the period 2004-2006".

The EU side was not offering major concessions to the candidates or pretending the negotiations are yet settled. European Enlargement Commissioner Günter Verheugen told the candidates that there was limited room for manoeuvre on the EU side, and that "the result of the Brussels European Council is not negotiable". Franz Fischler, European Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries insisted that the direct payments as agreed at Brussels were not negotiable, and that any calls for better quotas had to be based on recent data, and not lead to excessive costs. Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Mřller said afterwards the talks "gave a clear picture of all the outstanding issues which must be settled before the Copenhagen summit. Much remains to be done".

European Parliament tells EU "go ahead" with enlargement

The European Parliament plenary session on November 20 strongly backed the current EU plans for enlargement - but issued clear warnings about the need for the candidate countries to update their legislation on the judiciary and administrative capacity, rights of minorities, corruption, and trafficking in human beings. And it urged the EU member states to be flexible in the final negotiations, in particular in the area of agriculture.

This plenary session took place in historic circumstances - with more than 200 representatives of the parliaments of the candidate countries in attendance in the Strasbourg hemisphere. European Parliament President Pat Cox welcomed parliamentarians from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, and emphasised to them the challenge of giving leadership to win public consent in the member states and in the candidate countries for the post-Copenhagen phase of enlargement - making it work once negotiations had been completed.

The Parliament will now invite candidate countries to send observers to the European Parliament until they became full member states, with all rights of participation in political groups, committees and plenary, although they would not have the right to vote.

"Enlargement of the European Union cannot now be stopped," declared MEP Elmar Brok, following the Parliament's adoption of the report on enlargement that he had piloted through the Parliament's foreign affairs committee earlier this month. "We have been able to deal satisfactorily with such issues as Cyprus, Kaliningrad and the Benes decrees, and compromises on the outstanding issues can be found within the dates agreed," he proclaimed.

During the debate, Denmark's prime minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, described enlargement as "the biggest project of our age", and urged all parties to come together to find a solution to the outstanding problems. And European Commission President Romano Prodi paid tribute to the national parliaments of the applicant countries in processing all the necessary legislation to comply with EU membership.

But the speeches in the hemisphere were not all congratulatory. Among the numerous interventions from candidate countries' representatives - most of which were constructive and cautiously optimistic - there were also remarks from Andrzej Lepper, leader of one of Poland's most outspoken opposition parties. He lamented the cost of restructuring of Polish industry and agriculture, pointing to the 3.2 million unemployed, equivalent to 18% of the population. The EU was raking in millions of dollars at Poland's expense by exporting surpluses, and Poland was subsiding jobs in Europe, he claimed. And from the EU side too there were also some words: Jean-Marie Le Pen, runner-up in this year's French Presidential race, and still an independent French MEP, warned prospective new member states that the EU was not a brotherhood of nations but an "Empire under American protection" and that the candidate countries were at risk of becoming "slaves" in an enlarged Europe.

Replying to the debate, European Enlargement Commissioner Günter Verheugen said he felt the meeting's lesson was that the new Europe could work, while at the same time it was necessary to take full account of the history of the new member states.

EP debate confirms enlargement at head of Commission work programme

The European Parliament debated the European Commission's work programme for 2003 at its plenary session last week - and the debate confirmed the significant place that the Commission plans to give to enlargement.

As European Commission President Romano Prodi said in introducing his programme to the Parliament, "Our main challenge for the coming year will be enlargement… So it is naturally our top priority for 2003." He stressed the Commission's commitment to ensure that all parties involved in the process are capable of meeting their responsibilities from day one of accession. This meant that the candidate countries must have carried over into national law and be actually implementing the body of EU legislation. And it meant that the final phase needs to be monitored with special care by the EU itself.

In addition, said Prodi: "I must stress how urgent it is to overhaul the EU's architecture so it can meet the challenges of 2004. There is a qualitative dimension to enlargement that must not be underestimated". The Commission's other priorities for 2003 also have a close link with enlargement, he pointed out. "The goal of ensuring stability and security throughout the EU is at the forefront of the Commission's concerns because the harmonious and peaceful coexistence of our people depends on this". And in the current economic climate, "people are rightly asking what the EU will do to help restore growth and create jobs. Let us not forget that we must meet our objectives of sustainable economic prosperity and social inclusion", said Prodi.

MEPs backed the broad thrust of Prodi's presentation and the focus on enlargement, and also expressed support for ensuring candidate countries fully met the EU rules, and for tightening up EU procedures so that enlargement ran more smoothly. For the EPP-ED group, Françoise Grossetęte of France welcomed the closer co-operation between the Council, the Commission, and the European Parliament in drawing up the Commission's work programme, but said she was still concerned about the implementation of EU legislation in the candidate countries, particularly in the area of the environment. For the PES group, Enrique Barón Crespo of Spain criticised delays in implementation of the EU's Sapard programme of pre-accession aid for agriculture and rural redevelopment. Fellow-Socialist Gary Titley of the UK noted the challenge before the Commission over the next 12 months in order for enlargement to proceed smoothly, and he called for the Enlargement directorate general in the Commission not to be wound down but to maintain its current staff levels.

Candidates canvassed on Belarus ban

Following the decision by the Czech Government to deny him a visa to attend the NATO summit in Prague, the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council reached a decision that fourteen member states will prevent the entry into their territories of the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, as well as the Head of the Presidential Administration, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Interior and the Chairman of the Committee of State Security. Candidate countries have been informed of the decision, and requested to inform member states about whether they contemplate taking similar measures. The decision is based on EU concerns over the continuing deterioration of democracy and rule of law in Belarus and the non-fulfilment of Belarus' international commitments. "Serious violations of human rights and recurrent restrictions on fundamental freedoms imposed by the government of Belarus are in clear contradiction with European democratic standards", said the Council.