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To: TobagoJack who wrote (11080)	11/13/2001 5:59:07 PM
From: elmatador	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 74559

EU heads for 'Big Bang' enlargement by 2004. (They didn't call it Abracadabra, like we do: they call it big bang, Jay!) EU heads for 'Big Bang' enlargement by 2004 By Judy Dempsey in Brussels Published: November 13 2001 20:33 \| Last Updated: November 13 2001 20:49 The European Union is heading for a "Big Bang" enlargement of up to 10 countries that could take place as early as 2004 after negotiations are wrapped up by the end of next year. The scheme was spelt out on Tuesday by Günter Verheugen (pictured), the EU's enlargement commissioner, after he issued the long-awaited annual progress reports of candidate countries as well as a strategy paper for helping these countries get ready for accession. "The aim of achieving the first accessions before the European parliament elections in 2004 remains a demanding one. But it is not a utopian dream; it is a realistic and feasible challenge." Such an enlargement would be the biggest single expansion since the EU - then the European Coal and Steel Community - was established half a century ago. If it takes place, the new borders of the union will stretch to Russia. Moreover, said the Commission, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, "a strong and united Europe is more important than ever before to ensure peace, security, freedom and prosperity for all its citizens". Enlargement, however, will put considerable pressure on member states to speed up outstanding financial and institutional reforms. These include the structural (regional) and agricultural funds which together account for 80 per cent of the EU's annual budget, which new member states expect to have a share. Reforms also involve institutional questions, especially over voting procedure. An enlarged EU will make it even more difficult to reach decisions unanimously. Then there is the question of Cyprus. Unless a compromise is found, the EU will take in the divided island, whose northern part was occupied by Turkey in 1974 after a coup in Greece. The separate Commission reports on all 13 candidate countries concluded that the three Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia, as well as Malta and Cyprus, could be ready to join by 2004. This timetable was already agreed by EU heads of states at the Nice summit of December last year and endorsed at the Gothenburg summit of last June. However, the Commission had been determined to stick to a timetable that also included completing negotiations with the best prepared applicants by the end of this year. Despite problems of corruption, trafficking of women and children, discrimination against minorities and weak administrative capacity, the Commission was confident all 10 could get to grips with these issues in the coming year. Indeed, the Commission will provide an extra E250m (£154m) in addition to an annual E750m to help reforms, improve the infrastructure and implement necessary legal changes. Message 16328969