Posted on 10/08/2002 8:53:22 PM PDT by pkpjamestown
The European Commission will recommend on Wednesday that 10 applicant countries can finish entry talks by the end of this year and join the European Union by 2004.
Candidates shortlist
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Estonia
Hungary
Latvia
Lithuania
Malta
Poland
Slovakia
Slovenia
A 93-page report to be unveiled in Brussels, called "Towards an Enlarged Union", is an important landmark on the road to the EU's most ambitious expansion yet.
But it will also propose strict monitoring of the new entrants, and it will not mention the date when Turkey can expect to start membership talks.
The 10 mostly former communist countries will effectively be on probation for the next few years.
Bulgaria's and Romania's progress over the last year leads the Commission to conclude that the year 2007... should be envisaged as an indicative date for accession
European Commission
Three months before they join, the European Commission will report on how well they have kept their promises to adopt EU rules in areas like food safety and border controls.
And for two years after that, the EU will be able to take action to prevent large flows of migrants from the east, or food scares.
While highlighting continued concern over corruption in the applicant countries, the report also says that more needs to be done to explain to people in the EU the benefits of enlargement - such as improved political stability and economic growth.
More aid
Bulgaria and Romania, though not included in the first wave of expansion, will be told for the first time that 2007 could be envisaged as a possible date for them to join.
In another first, Bulgaria will be described as a functioning market economy.
Both countries can expect EU support to be increased gradually but considerably from 2004.
The European Commission will also propose doubling financial aid to Turkey by 2006.
While welcoming recent steps to abolish the death penalty and improve cultural rights for the Kurdish minority, the report says that Turkey does not fully meet the political criteria to start membership talks.
Iraq factor
EU officials stress they could not make a political judgement on Turkey before next month's general elections.
The report seen by the BBC is only a draft, subject to approval on Wednesday by all 20 members of the European Commission.
EU governments will take the final decisions on expanding the Union at a summit in Brussels later this month, and at one in Copenhagen in December.
EU leaders will then have the option to come up with a more generous package for Turkey.
One possibility would be to ask the European Commission for a progress report on the country for next June's summit in the Greek city of Thessaloniki.
With talk of a war against Iraq, the country's strategic position is uppermost in the minds of many top EU politicians.
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