§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on whether Poland has accepted the terms and conditions of the acquis communautaire for fisheries within the negotiations on accession to the European Union. [33385]
§ Mr. MorleyEU accession negotiations for the Fisheries chapter have been provisionally completed with 10 of the 12 applicant countries. Poland and Malta have yet to conclude negotiations. Both have still to supply the EU with information regarding their preparations for meeting the acquis communautaire and discussion is still underway with the EU on derogations they have requested. It is now expected that the chapter will be concluded in the first half of 2002.