Poland gives way in EU negotiations
Nice to see you: EC president Romano Prodi and Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek meet to discus Poland's EU membership.
Poland is following a new tack on negotiations with the European Union (EU), scaling back demands in several areas for long transition periods before it comes into compliance with European law, according to recent announcements by government officials.
Meanwhile, the EU's policy-making body formally proposed a transition of up to seven years on the free movement of workers from applicant countries into today's member countries. Poland and its fellow applicants are seeking immediate access to labor markets.
Poland's chief negotiator, Jan Kulakowski, called the seven-year plan unacceptable.
While the two sides have staked out positions on the thorny labor issue, Poland is scaling back its demands for transition periods on air transport, tax policies and the environment, and is working to modify negotiating positions on energy and company law. Kulakowski announced several new negotiation moves during a news conference last week in the hope of speeding along talks on some chapters before the most difficult have to be tackled.
"Finally, negotiations," he said, dismissing concerns that Poland is being pushed out of the leading group of EU accession candidates. Among the first wave of candidates, Cyprus, Estonia and Slovenia have closed 18 chapters, Hungary 17 and the Czech Republic 15.
Late last month, Poland closed chapters on the free movement of goods and customs union, bringing to 15 out of the 31 that must be resolved. Along with the two recent additions, Poland had set a goal of finishing nine more before June 30 but Kulakowski admitted that this is probably not realistic. Both sides will have to make concessions if there is to be progress, he added.
Kulakowski's press conference focused on concessions related to tax issues. Poland will modify three negotiating positions, including shorter transitions for taxes on unleaded fuel and cigarettes, and a higher VAT on books and magazines.
"We are also working on modifying negotiating positions in the areas of energy, transport and the law on companies," he said. His office has also indicated that environment-related negotiating positions will be relaxed.
The EU welcomed Poland's softening stance, but Poland did not welcome the European Commission's (EC) proposal on the movement of workers across borders. According to the EC, a general transition period would end after five years but, in the case of serious labor market disturbances, any member state could maintain national restrictions for an additional two years. The EC is also proposing a review of this policy after the first two years, with the possibility of lifting restrictions at that time. In the meantime, member states could apply their own restrictions or decide to go further than others in opening their labor markets, according to local needs and circumstances, the EC said.
"Such arrangements are a common instrument in Community life, and have been used in previous enlargements," the EC said in a statement. "They do not imply discrimination against the new members concerned, rather a determination to ensure that enlargement takes place as smoothly as possible."
Individual EU member states must still adopt the proposal.
