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Considerable progress has been achieved in the negotiations. Candidate countries have communicated their positions with respect to the acquis under the various negotiating chapters, including their requests for transitional measures. In many cases where candidates have provided sufficient commitments to apply the acquis, chapters have been provisionally closed (see Annex 6). The number of provisional closures of chapters, however, does not always give an accurate picture of the state of negotiations. In some cases under negotiation, only few issues of political importance remain; these can be solved if the necessary political decisions are taken.
The road map has proved to be useful in ensuring that all negotiating parties commit themselves to a realistic timetable. The Commission's report to the European Council in Ghent has reviewed the track record and outlined a number of issues where decisions still need to be taken during the Belgian presidency2. The paper identified a number of issues at stake on which the EU needed to define a position in the context of the chapters on transport, taxation, agriculture, justice and home affairs and energy. The Commission has in the meantime, where possible, forwarded negotiating positions on these chapters to the Council and the Belgian Presidency is swiftly advancing in defining negotiation positions. In the context of the last mentioned chapter, the Communication underlined the need to examine the positions of the candidate countries on the EU recommendations on nuclear safety and that ``concerning nonupgradable units [of nuclear power plants] - Ignalina (Lithuania), BohuniceV1 (Slovakia) and certain units of Kozluduy (Bulgaria) closure commitments must be respected, and therefore duly included in the Accession Treaties.''
The commitment of the Union to define common positions within a certain time frame, also in areas where there are particular difficulties, has sent a positive signal to the candidate countries. In doing so, the Union has shown the necessary flexibility in taking positions that are important in terms of public acceptability, both in the Union and in the candidate countries. This approach should be maintained.
According to the road map for the first half of 2002, the Union will define common positions with a view to closing provisionally the last group of chapters: agriculture, regional policy, financial and budgetary provisions, institutions and `other matters'. The Commission will submit the necessary proposals to the Council in good time. In preparing its proposals, the Commission will be guided by the approach outlined below.
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