Negotiations between Poland and the European UnionThe membership in the European Union is the most important aim of Polish foreign politic. Our will to enter the European Union is based on the decision made by European Council (Rada Europejska ) in Copenhagen in June 1993. During this meeting European authorities defined special criterions for new candidates. Those criterions describe conditions required from countries that apply to enter the European Union. Those conditions concern following steps: first of all to create stabile institutions guaranteeing democracy, law-abiding, accepting human rights and national minorities. Secondly, to create stabile economy, ability to be competitive on the free European market, and finally the confirmation to fill all obligations required from future member countries. The official start of our negotiations took place in Athens on April 8 1994 when the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs supplied documents confirming our will to enter the European Union. In the European Union the most important factor in negotiations are governments of member countries. They present their opinions (that means requirements from candidates) for their representatives who conduct negotiations. European Commission (Komisja Europejska )is responsible for preparing and presenting for candidates position papers (stanowisk negocjacyjnych) of the European Union that refer to fields defined by Community Law (Prawo Wspólnotowe). In this point it is important to mention that there are some rules defined for negotiations process. First of all, both sides suppose that each new access of new country to the European Union should bring profits for both sides. That means that high evaluation of level of preparation to enter the EU is in the interests of all member countries. In addition each new access to the EU can not have a negative impact on the European market. This establishment makes both sides to accept compromises and to resign some parts of own interests. On the other hand we have to remember that we are trying to enter "a club" that has already prepared own law and acquisition. According to this point we have to go throw special procedures introduced for new candidates. All candidates declare their will to accept acquisition of European law (Acquis Communautaire) and the aim of negotiations is to examine how fast candidates will be able to adapt their present state of law to the requirements of the European Union. Of course, it is possible to introduce some postpones in establishing changes in some fields of the law but we must not expect a great deal of this possibility. Each exception makes candidates to resign part of their interests. We must also remember interests of member countries are very important during negotiations: for instance Spain would like Poland to open Polish market for Spanish fruits; and Austria wants to close its market for cheap work force from Poland. If we would like to postpone same changes we must keep in mind that other countries will try to benefit our resistance for changes. The negotiations process might be divided into five stages. There is a review of Polish law as a comparison to the European Union law in the first stage. The European Union law has been divided into 31 fields of negotiations and this review refer to 29 of them (the other two: "institutions" and "others" will not be reviewed). During this stage the European Community (Komisja Europejska) represents the European Union and Miedzyresortowy Zespó3 ds. Przygotowania Negocjacji represents the candidate (in this case Poland). Then, in the second stage, the fields of negotiations are prepared more precisely. In Poland the precisely description of those fields is prepared by Zespó3 Negocjacyjny ("Negotiations team") and if the Polish government accept its proposal, our position is presented to the European Union (represented by Council of European Union - Rada Unii Europejskie). The next stage is very important, long and full of work - it is a stage when the real negotiations are conducted. There are a lot of meetings, exchanges of information and experts consulting. The aim of this stage is to approach the positions of negotiations and to prepare a preliminary agreement. During the whole process of negotiations a the most important is Government Representative who is in charge of Polish Membership in the European Union - Jan Ku3akowski. He is responsible for giving opinions of law acts and documents referring to our membership. He is the only government representative who prepares and negotiates a content of our treaty. On the other side, the European Union is represented by Nicolaus G. Van Der Pas who is responsible for the whole negotiations with all candidates. The European Union chose also another representative - Francoise Gaudenzi who is in charge of negotiations with Poland. The final content of Accession Treaty (Traktat Akcesyjny) is agreed in the fourth stage what means that all duties for both sides and other stages of negotiations (if it is necessary) are very precisely defined. The last stage means that each parliament of European Union countries votes for or against the access treaty of enter the European Union. The same treaty is ratified (or not) by parliament of a candidate country and if its decision is positive the government is to organize the common referendum so all citizen is able to evaluate the profits of access to the European Union. Copyright by "Opoka" JU/PO |
