2004 enlargement: preparation of the CEECs for integration into the internal market. White paper

The Council prepared for the joint ministerial meeting with the associated CEECs, which comes within the framework of ‘structured relations’ under the pre-accession strategy drawn up by the Essen European Council. That meeting subsequently took place (towards the end of the morning) alongside the Council meeting, with the participation of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the six associated countries: Mr Gueorgui PIRINSKI for Bulgaria, Mr Laszlo KOVACS for Hungary, Mr Wladyslaw BARTOSZEWSKI for Poland, Mr Teodor MELESCANU for Romania, Mr Juraj SCHENK for Slovakia and Mr Josef ZIELENIEC for the Czech Republic. The debate covered economic subjects, namely preparation of the White Paper for the integration of the associated countries into the internal market and regional cooperation, as well as political topics such as the situation in Russia and in the CIS (Chechnya, Ukraine, the Caucasus), the European security architecture, former Yugoslavia, consultation in the United Nations framework and non-proliferation.