Poland (EU Accession)

HC Deb 23 January 2002 vol 378 c887W

Ms Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role Britain is playing in helping Poland to join the EU. [28916]

Peter Hain

My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary and I have regular contact with our Polish counterparts. We are heavily involved in the Commission's Twinning programme: since 1998, we have won involvement in 23 Polish projects, covering such areas as organised crime and implementation of the CAP. Our action plan with Poland covers a range of further bilateral assistance to their accession preparations. We are doing all we can to assist Poland with her accession negotiations, as we want to see Poland ready by the end of this year to join the EU.