Poland: membership application and partnership, 8 April 1994

The European Parliament adopted the report by Mr Jas GAWRONSKI (EPP/ED, I) on Poland's application for membership to the EU. It stresses the importance of Poland becoming an EU member as soon as possible and wants new member states to draw up a timetable to this end. This resolution urges Poland to speed up privatisation and restructuring of the major State undertakings, above all in the steel, energy, chemical, armaments, sugar and distilleries sector and recommends that consideration be given to the possible effects of restructuring on the Polish and European labour markets. Moroever, it is highlighted that there is a need for a radical restructuring of the agricultural sector in a country where the rural dwellers make up 38% of the total population and 4.5% of GDP and where agricultural employment is estimated at 27.4% compared with an average of 5%. Finally, although Poland has made progress in preparing legislative measures in the environmental field, the Parliament notes that in order effectively to apply that legislation, the regional and local authorities will have to be strengthened as well as for the effective implementation of regional development programmes. �