§ Denzil DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of(a) the ratio of borrowing to GDP and (b) the proportion of public debt to GDP as laid down by the treaty of Maastricht and the growth and stability pact in 2004 of each of the countries applying for EU membership. [36433]
§ Ruth KellyI have been asked to reply.
The multilateral surveillance procedure set out in Article 99 of the EC treaty and in the stability and growth pact applies only on accession to the EU.
Assessment of applicant countries' readiness for EU membership will be based on the criteria agreed at the Copenhagen European Council in 1993.