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The Europe Agreements with the Central and Eastern European candidates provide a framework for monitoring the adoption of the acquis and the implementation of Accession Partnership priorities. The analytical examination of the acquis is now conducted mainly in the subcommittees established under these agreements (see below). There are similar association agreements with the Mediterranean candidates.
The Europe Agreements with Hungary and the Czech Republic have entered their second stage respectively in June 2000 and February 2001. In both cases, this means further liberalisation in particular as regards the provisions on establishment. The Commission is examining the transition to the second stage by the following other associated countries: Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. In the case of Slovenia, the first stage lasts in principle until 2003. The Europe Agreements with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania do not require a transition to the second stage.
By removing tariffs and quantitative restrictions, the Europe Agreements allow reciprocal free trade in industrial products. In doing so, they foster higher economic integration with the EU. Additional trade concessions with the Central and Eastern European candidates in the field of agricultural products were granted, on an autonomous and reciprocal basis in July 2000 (January 2001 in the case of Lithuania), pending the entry into force of additional protocols to the Europe Agreements. Negotiations with each of these countries to broaden the scope of the agricultural trade concessions, and similar negotiations with Cyprus and Malta are being prepared. In parallel, additional trade concessions on processed agricultural products entered into force in September 2001 with Estonia and in November 2001 with Slovenia. With regard to Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, Latvia and Lithuania additional trade concessions for these products are in the process of being decided.
Protocols to the Europe Agreements on European Conformity Assessment (PECA) entered into force on 1 June 2001 with Hungary and on 1 July 2001 with the Czech Republic. Agreements on such Protocols were initialled with Latvia and Lithuania; negotiations with Estonia, Slovakia and Slovenia are underway. The PECAs aim at extending internal market rules on conformity assessment for manufactured goods to the candidate countries before accession. Under the PECAs, the candidate countries have to introduce the acquis for selected sectors. The EC and the candidate country also agree to accept each other's technical bodies for assessing the conformity of goods with the legislation, making technical checks at border crossings unnecessary.
As regards Turkey, the implementation of the Customs Union remains the cornerstone of bilateral relations. The negotiations, opened in April 2000 on an agreement aiming at the liberalisation of services and at the mutual opening of public procurement, are underway.
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