Report is positive about Poland's chances of EU membership in 2004

A European Union (EU) report published yesterday indicates that Poland is among ten countries with a chance of being included on a list of new members joining the alliance on January 1, 2004. The list, to be drawn up by the European Commission (EC) in autumn next year, will stipulate which candidate countries meet the conditions for EU membership. In its report, the EU praises Poland for accelerating its legislative reform. However, it warns that Poland should improve its administrative and judicial systems in order to implement EU laws correctly. The EU also calls for the reform of Polish agriculture to be accelerated. The other nine countries likely to make it on to the EC list are the Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A3) A.Z.