§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking, in conjunction with Denmark and Ireland, to persuade the other members of the EC to ratify the Association Agreement signed in November 1991 in respect of Hungary, Poland and the former Czechoslovakia.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyThe UK took every opportunity during its Presidency to urge EC partners to speed up their ratification of the Association Agreement with Poland and Hungary. Subsequently, the Danish Presidency and Commission have repeatedly reminded partners of the importance of early ratification. Most member states now expect their procedures to be completed in June.
New Association Agreements are now being negotiated with the Czech and Slovak Republics.