EU Formally Reports On Enlargement, To Include Cyprus And Malta

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

11 October 2002

THE European Commission told Cyprus and Malta yesterday that, along with eight Eastern European countries they can finalize accession talks in December and join the EU in 2004.

"Thirteen years ago, Berlin was still divided by a wall of shame. The wall has fallen... and we have rediscovered a historic unity between all our peoples. Our common destiny is to build our future together," said Commission President Romano Prodi to the European Parliament.

Of course, that's if Irish voters don't strike down the Nice Treaty in their referendum. In fact a poll published yesterday showed a surge in support for the Treaty, with the percentage intending to vote in favour up to 44% from just 29% last month.

The Commission had some kind words for Turkey, but gave it no date for the commencement of membership talks, despite some urging from the Americans to give the NATO member a clear route towards accession, prompting one hard-line Turkish minister to fulminate over the fate of Cyprus if there was no deal to re-unite the island.

The EU is offering nearly 300m euros towards economic restructuring of the northern, Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus when a deal is reached between the two sides, and still hopes that this will happen before Cyprus actually crosses the Rubicon at the Copenhagen summit in December.

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