Introduction

Over almost half a century, the European Union has helped put an end to the conflicts of the past and to strengthening peace, security, justice and well being throughout Europe. Since the invitation to the candidate countries to become part of the European Union, the enlargement process has contributed decisively to achieving political stability, economic progress and social justice. Stable institutions, changes of government on the basis of free and democratic elections, reinforced protection of human rights, including rights of minorities, and market economy principles are now common features. The enlargement process makes Europe a safer place for its citizens and contributes to conflict prevention and control in the wider world.

Enlargement will benefit not only existing and new Member States but also neighbouring countries, with which the European Union has close ties. No new dividing lines will be drawn across our continent. Each new Member State will bring to the EU its own political, economic, cultural, historical and geographical heritage, thus enriching Europe as a whole.

A strong and united Europe is more important than ever before, against the background of the terrorist attacks of 11 September and subsequent developments. The candidates for European Union membership have aligned themselves with the EU's condemnation of terrorism and associated themselves immediately and fully with the Conclusions and Plan of Action of the extraordinary European Council on 21 September 2001.

The Commission renews its commitment to making a success of enlargement. This will enhance security and stability not only in Europe but also in neighbouring regions and further afield. The next year will be crucial for the successful completion of the ongoing accession negotiations and for the candidates' preparations for membership.

This year's progress reports and proposals for revised Accession Partnerships identify the areas where further efforts are most needed. Together with the road map, set out by the Commission last November and endorsed by successive European Councils, these provide a guide to the successful completion of the accession process with the countries concerned. The Commission will give its evaluation of the readiness of each candidate to assume the rights and obligations of membership in next year's progress reports. Provided their efforts are sustained, it should be possible to conclude the accession negotiations by the end of 2002 with those countries which fulfil the accession criteria. On this basis these countries would be ready to become members of the EU in 2004, in accordance with the objective set out by the European Parliament and by the European Council.

The principles for this process remain unchanged. The Berlin European Council has set out a clear framework for the financial aspects of enlargement. This framework provides a sufficient basis for the accession of up to ten new Member States in 2004. The European Council of Nice has defined the framework for the institutional reform necessary for enlargement. Negotiations are conducted on the basis of the existing acquis, applying the principles of own merits and catching­up, and will be concluded with those candidates that fulfil the criteria for membership. These are the necessary and sufficient conditions defined at the outset for accomplishing the first accessions. Any discussions within the European Union on the reform of policies or institutions should be clearly separated and not hinder or slow down the accession negotiations.

The pace of the negotiations with each candidate reflects, above all, the pace of its own preparations for membership. The application of the principle of differentiation based on each candidate country's own merit, together with the vigorous pursuit of preparations for membership backed up by the EU's pre­accession instruments, is also enabling candidates which began negotiations at a later stage to catch up. The enlargement strategy now in place provides a sound basis for completing the negotiations, on schedule, with the candidates that are sufficiently prepared.

The conditions for membership, set out by the Copenhagen European Council in 1993 and further detailed by subsequent European Councils, provide the benchmarks for assessing each candidate's progress. These conditions remain valid today and there is no question of modifying them. In the present phase of the accession process, however, it is necessary to focus as much on the candidates' capacity to implement and enforce the acquis as on its transposition into law. For this reason, particular attention is now being given to the candidates' administrative and judicial capacity. By means of an action plan, the Commission will increase support for institution building and monitor closely the fulfilment of undertakings made in the negotiations and the achievement of priorities set out in the Accession Partnerships.

The European Union will continue to lend its full support to the preparations for membership by candidates that are not in a position to complete negotiations within the timetable indicated above. Negotiations will be pursued with them, on the basis of the principles that have guided the accession process from the beginning. In its 2002 Enlargement Strategy Paper, the Commission will set out an updated road map, and, if necessary, a revised pre­accession strategy, for such candidates, taking into account the progress made in the next year and the conclusions of the Göteborg European Council.

To intensify preparations for enlargement, candidate countries are being increasinglyassociated with EU programmes and activities. Pre­accession economic programmes have been designed bearing in mind the requirements for economic and monetary union and national employment strategies are being developed. The Göteborg European Council conclusions invited the candidate countries to translate the Union's economic, social and environmental objectives into their national policies. The candidate countries should be associated as far as possible to the Lisbon process, which focuses on the strategic goal for the Union to develop a sustainable, highly competitive, knowledge­based economy.

Co­operation in justice and home affairs will become increasingly important, both in view of the fight against terrorism and organised crime and the longer­term discussions on the possible creation of common border control arrangements. The Schengen system will apply to all new Member States. Full participation in it will be based on a two­step process. The new Member States will first need to achieve a high level of external border control upon accession whereas the lifting of internal border controls with current Member States will take place only at a later stage, subject to a separate decision by the Council.

Joining the European Union is not identical with joining the euro. Whereas participation in the single currency is part of the acquis, candidate countries will have to conform to the convergence criteria for participation in the euro. This will be decided at a later stage, after accession, following assessment of the achievement of a high degree of sustainable convergence, as was the case for the initial participants in the euro zone. The first priority for each candidate must, however, now be to comply with the Copenhagen economic criteria.

Candidate countries will be increasingly involved in the discussion of the future of Europe including the Convention, which will prepare the way for the next Intergovernmental Conference. The work of the Convention and the IGC is capital for the future of Europe; it does not, however, constitute a new condition for enlargement.

As the debate on Europe's future advances and the date for enlargement nears, citizens in existing and future Member States will increasingly wish to understand the likely effects of enlargement. The Commission, working closely with the European Parliament, is ready to respond to this demand and to back up the efforts of political leaders in the countries concerned to explain to the public the issues involved.

It would be an inspiration for Europe as a whole, and for the world at large, if the whole of Cyprus was able to enter the European Union together on the basis of a settlement taking into account the interests and concerns of the respective parties. It is disappointing that the Turkish Cypriot leadership is not presently engaged in the process conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. All parties concerned should take full advantage of the window of opportunity before the completion of the accession negotiations to achieve a settlement. If, however, a settlement has not been reached by the completion of the accession negotiations, the Council will take its decision on accession, without this being a pre­condition, in accordance with the Helsinki European Council conclusions.

The Helsinki European Council concluded that Turkey is a candidate whose application will be judged on the basis of the same criteria as applied to other candidate countries. The pre­accession strategy, called for in those conclusions, is now well underway. The Commission welcomes the political and economic reforms which have been initiated. Turkey needs to ensure that these reforms are effective, especially with respect to the protection of human rights, and to contribute actively to efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem and the differences that have arisen over the European Security and Defence Policy.

The forthcoming enlargement of the European Union is being thoroughly prepared by means of the strategy set out in this document. It is founded on clear principles, which have been enunciated by successive European Councils, and on a transparent and objective method set out by the Commission in Agenda 2000 and applied each year in its Progress Reports. The present document, and the accompanying Reports, provide an analysis of the stage reached in the enlargement process in Autumn 2001 and point the way to ensuring that the next and decisive phase of the process is successful.

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