Memorandum submitted by the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office on questions arising from the evidence session
REFERENDA ON
THE NICE
TREATY
The only EU country currently likely to hold
a referendum is the Republic of Ireland. But no decision has yet
been announced.
POLISH FISHING
IN EU WATERS
Under the terms of a bilateral agreement between
Poland and Sweden, dating from 1978 and reconsidered on an annual
basis, Poland currently receives quota allocations for certain
stocks in the area of the Baltic Sea under Swedish jurisdiction.
In return, Sweden has similar access to Polish waters. Upon accession,
Poland will gain access rights to EU waters within the terms of
the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Under relative stability arrangements,
however, her vessels would only be able to fish in current EU
waters for those stocks not already covered by the system of total
allowable catches and quotas.
THE COMMISSION'S
ASSESSMENT OF
THE POLISH
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
Attached (Annex A)[5]
is the relevant section of the Commission's regular report for
2000 on Poland's progress towards enlargement. The full report,
along with the reports for 1999 and 1998, are available on the
website at http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/poland/index.htm
and in the House of Commons Library.
THE COMMISSION'S
PAPER ON
FREE MOVEMENT
OF LABOUR
The Commission's paper, which issued on 7 March,
is attached at Annex B.[6]
CYPRUS
Mr Maples asked whether it was correct that
there was a clause in Cyprus's constitution saying that Cyprus
cannot join an international organisation unless both Greece and
Turkey belong to it. He also asked Mr Vaz to confirm that it is
the view of the British Government that the relevant clause in
the Cyprus constitution is not a bar to membership of the European
Union.
Mr Maples was probably referring to Article
50 of the 1960 Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus. This provides
that the Greek Cypriot President and the Turkish Cypriot Vice-President
of the Republic, separately and conjointly, shall have the right
of final veto on any law or decision concerning foreign affairs
except for laws or decisions on "the participation of the
Republic in international organisations and acts of alliance in
which the Kingdom of Greece and the Republic of Turkey both participate".
Because in practice certain provisions of the
1960 Constitution, including Article 50, are now inoperative given
the circumstances prevailing on the island, the British Government
does not regard Article 50 as constituting a bar to Cyprus's accession
to the EU.
CODE OF
CONDUCT RELATING
TO ARMS
EXPORTS
The code of conduct is a CFSP instrument so
it falls under the CFSP chapter of the negotiations. All twelve
candidates currently in negotiations have closed the chapter,
confirming that they will apply CFSP instruments from the date
of their accession. In addition, all candidates including Turkey
have signalled support for the principles of the code and said
that it will guide them in their national export control policies.
MINISTERIAL VISITS
TO APPLICANT
STATES
Ministers from a wide range of government departments
have contacts with their counterparts from the applicant states.
The frequency of these visits is increasing. In the second half
of 2000 there were 64 ministerial contacts, up from 33 in the
second half of 1999. These include inward and outward visits,
as well as bilateral meetings at multilateral events. For more
detail, a list of outward Ministerial visits to both the Central
European and Mediterranean candidates for January 2000-March 2001
is attached (Annex A).
PROGRESS OF
NEGOTIATIONS
As Mr Vaz said at the evidence session, there
is a chart on the FCO website (at http://www.fco.gov.uk/news/dynpage.asp?Page=10556&Theme=19)
detailing the numbers of chapters opened and closed by each of
the 12 candidates currently in negotiations. Since this does not
show which chapters remain to be dealt with a more detailed
chart is attached (Annex D) for the Committee's benefit. We will
be happy to supply the Committee informally an updated version
once a quarter.
TREATMENT OF
ROMA
At the evidence session Mr Mackinlay raised
the question of the treatment of Roma in Central Europe. The EU
has raised the position of the Roma in a number of candidate countries;
for example, in successive annual progress reports on the enlargement
process. Extensive practical help is available through the PHARE
Programme (and bilaterally from the UK and other partners). The
EU has been working with the OSCE and Council of Europe to elaborate
guidelines for an approach to the problems of the Roma minority;
and has developed an active dialogue with all the governments
in the applicant countries concerned.
16 March 2001
5 Not printed. Back
6
Not printed. Back
| 
