Slovakia: membership application and partnership, 27 June 1995

In adopting the report by Mr Jan Marinus WIERSMA (PSE, NL) on Slovakia's application for membership of the European Union, Parliament reaffirmed a position already expressed in its resolution of 4 December 1997 according to which all countries should be placed on the same footing even if it was logical to open negotiations with the most advanced countries. It stressed the need for the advancing accession process to cover all the countries with which the European Union had signed a Europe Agreement and underlined again its firm conviction that there should be no closed groups of accession candidates. It also stressed that the opportunity for a smooth transition to the phase of intensive negotiations should remain open at all times. Considering, in general terms, that the integration of the candidate countries into the Union would substantially contribute to security in Europe, Parliament hoped that Slovakia would be able as soon as possible to join the group of countries with which the Council had decided to open accession negotiations. Considering that the political development of Slovakia was proceeding satisfactorily, it called on the European Council to adopt a flexible approach by reconsidering Slovakia's application. It therefore called on the Commission to reassess the situation in that country so that the negotiations could start at the latest before the end of the German Presidency. Parliament considered that the Council should give its decision to start negotiations during the first half of 1999. Nonetheless, the positive political developments in Slovakia must be maintained. Parliament thus expected that this country would manifest the will to undertake the political reforms required to make it a state subject to the rule of law and respecting democratic principles, human rights and the rights of minorities. Slovakia should also speed up the process of preparing for accession, in particular speeding up the adoption of the Community acquis and taking the measures required to restore its macro-economic balance. The country was also asked to envisage closing its technologically outdated nuclear power stations as soon as possible. Slovakia was asked in general terms to speed up the process of preparing for accession with a view to reducing the length of future negotiations. Lastly, the two sides were called on to make full use of the Europe Agreement and the Accession Partnership to develop their cooperation with a view to the future accession.�