HC Deb 02 November 2000 vol 355 cc558-9W
Mr. Win Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress being made in EU enlargement negotiations with(a) Bulgaria, (b) Latvia, (c) Lithuania, (d) Malta, (e) Romania and (f) Slovakia. [135390]

Mr. Vaz

Accession negotiations with the six countries listed were launched on 15 February 2000. For the purpose of negotiations, the "acquis communautaire" (ie the body of law and practice to which all member states subscribe) of the European Union is divided into 31 "chapters". By 24 October, the countries concerned had "opened" (ie started negotiations on) between eight and 13 chapters each. Malta had "provisionally closed" (ie no further negotiations are required at this stage) 10 chapters; Slovakia nine; Latvia and Lithuania seven each, Romania and Bulgaria six each. These countries are expected provisionally to close a number of further chapters at the Deputies Conferences scheduled for 16 November and at the Ministerial Conferences on 21 November.

Mr. Win Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the state of the EU enlargement negotiations in respect of(a) Cyprus, (b) Czech Republic, (c) Estonia, (d) Hungary, (e) Poland and (f) Slovenia. [135391]

Mr. Vaz

Accession negotiations with the six countries listed were launched in March 1998. For the purpose of negotiations, the "acquis communautaire" (ie the body of law and practice to which all member states subscribe) of the European Union is divided into 31 "chapters". By 5 October, the countries concerned had "opened" (ie started negotiations on) 29 (out of 31) chapters. Cyprus had "provisionally closed" (ie no further negotiations are required at this stage) 16 chapters, Estonia 14, Hungary and the Czech Republic 13 each, Slovenia 12 and Poland 11. These countries are expected provisionally to close a number of further chapters at the Deputies Conferences scheduled for 14 November and at the Ministerial Conferences on 5 December.