Verheugen Says Enlargement Not Possible Without Cyprus

by Lorys Charalambous, Tax-News.com, Cyprus

30 September 2002

EU Enlargement Commissioner, Gunter Verheugen has stated that the next round of EU accessions will not take place without Cyprus, acording to a report from the EU Observer news service last week.

Speaking in Paris, Mr Verheugen once again stressed that although agreement between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides is desirable, it does not represent a precondition for EU entry.

There was speculation in the Turkish media recently that the country could be left out of the 2004 enlargement in order to relieve some of the pressure on the process. However, given that Greece has threatened to block the process entirely if Cyprus is omitted, such a move would likely have entirely the opposite effect.

The Enlargement Commissioner's confirmation of the situation will doubtless be welcomed by the Greek Cypriot authorities, which, speaking in response to the rumours earlier this month, stated that: 'All information, all indications and everything we are told show exactly the opposite, namely that Cyprus will be among the first wave of enlargement and that nothing can reverse that course. Consequently, such press reports are untrue.'

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