APPENDIX 2
Memorandum submitted by the Embassy of
the Republic of Lithuania
The recognition of Lithuania's progress on the
way to the European Union and decisions of the Helsinki European
Council launching accession negotiations with our country is a
milestone in Lithuania's way towards EU membership, as well as
a major step in creating the overall architecture of EU enlargement.
All Central and East European states who had expressed a wish
to join the European union are now taking part in the EU expansion
process on an equal footing. We do believe in the differentiated
approach, allowing each Candidate State to move through the negotiations
as fast as warranted by its own merits.
During the official opening of Lithuania's accession
negotiations on 15 February 2000, the principle position of Lithuania
was stated: our country shall be ready to assume the obligations
of the EU membership from 1 January 2004.
Lithuania welcomes the UK approach that enlargement
is not just about the applicant countries reforming in order to
join the EU, but also the existing Member States reforming in
order to receive new members. We share an attitude of the British
Government that the results of the Intergovernmental Conference
are essential to improve confidence of the European citizens in
the EU institutions as well as to ensure that when enlargement
goes ahead, the EU's institutions can remain coherent, efficient
and effective.
Lithuania is fully aware of and supports the
European Union aim to ensure the efficient functioning of EU institutions
and democratic representation of its citizens. It is this efficiently
functioning enlarged EU that Lithuania aspires to join. Evidently,
the Protocol on the Institutions with the Prospect of Enlargement
of the European Union of the Amsterdam Treaty did not create foundation
for the full enlargement.
Lithuania welcomes the decisions of the Union
to keep the Candidate States informed about the proceedings of
the IGC, and to invite them to put their points of view on related
matters.
One of the most important goals of the IGC should
be a comprehensive institutional reform that would enable the
EU to admit all the states involved in the enlargement process
as well as to ensure their proper representation. Only the institutional
structure that ensures equal rights and fair representation of
all the member states will be acceptable to the present and future
citizens of the Union. We are confident that these issues will
be fully reflected in the agenda of the IGC
Lithuania welcomes the Union's determination
to conclude the IGC by the end of 2000 and to ratify the results
of the Conference in order to be in a position to welcome new
Member States from the end of 2002. It is vital for maintaining
momentum of the enlargement process.
Lithuania will keep sharing its view on the
issues under consideration in the course of the Intergovernmental
Conference. We welcome British Government readiness, expressed
in the White Paper on the IGC, to take into account the views
of the applicant countries. It is an important step drawing future
member states to the decisions that will be significant for the
enlarged Union.
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