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Enlargement of the European Union
Accession process
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According to Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union, any
European country may apply for membership if it respects the
principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights
and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law, principles
which are common to the Member States. |
Countries wishing to join the EU must fulfil the economic and
political conditions known as the 'Copenhagen criteria' according to
which a prospective member must:
- be a stable democracy, respecting human rights, the rule of law,
and the protection of minorities;
- have a functioning market economy;
- adopt the common rules, standards and policies that make up the
body of EU law (and to have the capacity to take on the obligations
of membership).
For the agriculture and rural development sector, two elements are of
key importance:
- Economic aspects = the situation in the countries on the
basis of the economic criteria for membership, consisting of:
- The existence of a functioning market economy, based on clear
property rights, functioning markets, price liberalisation and
macroeconomic stability;
- The capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces
within the Union and from imported agricultural and food products.
- Community standards = the country's capacity to implement the
Community legal and administrative provisions in the areas of
agriculture and rural development:
- Adequate administrative capacity of the agricultural
administrations, in particular in the area of agricultural policy
formulation, analysis, implementation, support payment and control.
- Adequate administrative capacity for the formulation and
implementation, in the 1st instance, of pre-accession rural
development measures (IPARD) and later Community Rural Development
programmes.
- Legislative alignment and setting-up of administrative
capacities in the areas of organic farming, quality policy and other
horizontal aspects.
- At agricultural market level, setting up of market mechanisms (including
marketing standards, price reporting, quota management, producers'
organisations, public intervention etc.).
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