Estonia: membership application

The Committee has adopted report on the progress made towards accession by Estonia. Overall, while the report draws attention to the remaining problems, it welcomes the progress achieved. However, it also stresses that the reforms being made by this country must be accompanied by measures to alleviate their social consequences. As regards Estonia, the momentum of the accession process must be kept up if the support of most political parties for their country's membership application is not to waver, according to the report by Jörn Johan DONNER (PES, Fin). The rapporteur welcomes Estonia's abolition of the death penalty in 1998, as well as the amendments to its citizenship law, which have brought Estonian legislation into line with OSCE norms. The committee also stresses the importance for the European Union of certainty regarding its external frontiers and calls for swift ratification of the border agreement between Estonia and Russia.�