Poland: membership application and partnership, 8 April 1994

The committee adopted the report by Jas GAWRONSKI (EPP-ED, I) on Poland's application for membership of the EU and the state of the negotiations. The committee stressed the importance of Poland becoming an EU member as soon as possible. While it applauded much of Poland's progress towards implementing the "acquis communautaire", it urged the country to speed up the process even more. The report also underlined the need for a radical restructuring of the agricultural sector in a country where agricultural employment was estimated at 27.4% compared with an EU average of 5%, and called for greater investment in rural areas in order to mitigate the social costs of restructuring. The committee pointed out that Poland's borders would become the external frontiers of the EU and that efforts to ensure an efficient customs service needed to be continued and stepped up. Lastly, it urged the Commission and the Polish Government to take action to combat the problems of sex tourism, child prostitution and trafficking in women in the border area between Germany and Poland. �