§ 13. Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met Foreign Ministers of EU applicant countries to discuss enlargement issues. [54380]
§ Peter HainMy right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I regularly meet our opposite numbers from the candidate countries. I visited Cyprus last month, and the Foreign Secretary plans to visit Bucharest, Budapest, Prague and Bratislava later this month.
§ 23. Mr. DavidTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress in negotiations with EU applicant countries. [54390]
§ Peter HainThe Laeken European Council confirmed the EU's determination to complete negotiations with those countries that are ready at the end of this year, so that they can participate in the next European Parliament elections in 2004. The negotiations are on course to meet this timetable.
Currently 11 of the 12 countries in negotiations have opened 30 chapters. Cyprus has closed 27 chapters, Slovenia and Lithuania have both closed 26, the Czech Republic has closed 25, Hungary, Estonia, Slovakia and Latvia have closed 24, Poland has closed 23, Malta has closed 21, and Bulgaria has closed 17. Romania has opened 24 chapters and closed 11.
§ 36. Gillian MerronTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures his Department is taking to help United Kingdom business prepare for EU enlargement.[54405]
§ Peter HainI refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier in the House today to my hon. Friend the Member for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth (Rosemary McKenna), at columns 635–36.