Polish officials to become "active observers" in 2003

The day after EU member states sign the accession treaty on April 17, 2003, Poland will become a so-called active observer in EU institutions. Within the next few days, Polish representatives will start taking part in consultations concerning new directives. This means that even before the ratification of the treaty by EU members, Poland will gain a status almost equal to that of "full member". Polish representatives will take part in Council of Europe meetings as well as in the work of over 150 different bodies operating within EU structures. This will most likely have an impact on the work of many members of the government. "It is not certain whether we will be able to find experts in all fields of the EU's activities," said European Affairs Minister Danuta Huebner. The EU has promised to inform Polish diplomats about any proposals, recommendations or initiatives that might lead to decision-making in any EU institutions and if Poland considers any of them detrimental to its interest it may ask for official consultations. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A4) J.K.