Belgian Parliament delays key vote on EU expansion in protest against Poland

Following last week's stormy debate in the Dutch Parliament about allowing Poles to legally work in the Netherlands following Poland's EU accession on May 1, 2004, Belgium has also become very critical of Poland. On Friday, the Belgian Parliament decided to delay voting on the treaty to expand the EU, signalling Poland's intransigence over the Nice Treaty as the main reason f or this. If Belgium continues its opposition, this could eventually mean th at EU expansion date of May 1, 2004 may not be kept. On top of that, Rzeczp ospolita is reporting that the number of countries willing to open their la bor markets to Polish citizens immediately after Poland joins the EU is rap idly decreasing. Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark are now withdrawing fr om earlier announcements to grant this right to Poles. However, at the same time the situation for Poles in some EU, like Sweden, is becoming easier. A longside Belgium and Luxemburg, the list of EU countries that will impose a two-year transition period before Polish citizens can work in their states are now likely to be joined by France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Finland. The only countries that are not withdrawing from their earlier pledges, are Great Britain and Ireland. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, A6) M.M.