Slovenia closed four chapters of the accession negotiations with the European Union in Brussels on Thursday, 29 March. Slovenia was the first candidate country to close the environment chapter and the second to close the energy chapter; moreover it closed a very sensitive chapter of free movement capital as well as the chapter on free movement of goods.
The number of chapters Slovenia has closed has thus increased to 18, while eleven remain open. Slovenia is now among the candidate countries which have closed the most chapters. According to Potocnik, Slovenia's head negotiator, Slovenia should make a breakthrough by the end of June, closing more than two thirds of total 29 negotiations chapters. "We are heading towards a real breakthrough", he said.
Among the chapters that could be closed very soon is that on culture and audio-visual policy. The negotiations on the chapter on taxes and customs union are progressing well after Slovenia decided to close duty-free shops, and there are intense talks about how to solve the issue of free-trade agreements Slovenia has with BiH, Croatia and Macedonia.
Slovenia still plans to conclude the negotiation process by the end of this year although this is more likely to happen in 2002 since not just the candidate countries but also the EU members will need some time to reach an agreement on some sensitive issues. But Slovenia would be disappointed if the negotiation process is not concluded in the first half of 2002, Slovenia's head negotiator added.
The closing of the environment chapter is a great success. Fulfillment of EU's high environment standards was a major challenge in the negotiations. Slovenia is the first candidate country to close the chapter, and it managed to do it during Swedish presidency although one of the goals of Swedish presidency is strengthening the common environment policy.
Another brilliant achievement is closing the chapter on free movement of capital which covers the sensitive issue of opening the real estate market. Many candidate countries have asked for long transition periods, while Slovenia will abolish all restrictions for the EU citizens by the end of 2002.
Slovenia was the second - after Hungary - to close the energy chapter, which was possible after Austria lifted its blockade regarding the safety of the Krsko N-plant. The EU urged Slovenia to pay further attention to the seismic safety of the plant, adding that nuclear safety in the country will be examined also in the future.
Cyprus, Estonia and Slovenia are now in the lead among the twelve candidates, with 18 out of 30 negotiation chapters closed. The EU enlargement strategy has foreseen the end of negotiations with the most advanced candidates by the completion of 2002, which would enable those countries to vote in the 2004 European Parliament elections. Negotiators of the most advanced countries expect enlargement negotiations to be finished by the end of the Spanish Presidency in June 2002, leaving enough time for the lengthy ratification and referenda process.
The state of negotiations between Slovenia and the EU
The Government of Slovenia supports the view that each candidate country should be evaluated on its own merits - individually, as that is the only way to ensure objective treatment of individual candidates. Slovenia is aware that this is a very difficult strategy from a political point of view, but nevertheless extremely necessary. The process of individualisation began when some candidate countries asked for a transition period in some areas, but not in others. In view of this, the EU has to respect the principle of individual treatment in areas where it intends to ask for a transition period. Slovenia is convinced it will be among those candidate countries which will, taking into account the Nice resolutions, succeed in negotiating faster than envisaged in the "road map". According to this "map" the negotiation process is expected to be completed in the first half of 2002. Slovenia's concern is that a long wait for those candidate countries not in a position to conclude negotiations and the preparations for membership at the same time as Slovenia could entail political risks as it could lead to political instability in Slovenia. Slovenia also foresees that individual candidate countries will use the negotiations to pursue their own separate interests, which are not part of the process of harmonisation with EU legislation.
During the Swedish presidency, Slovenia intends to close or has already closed the following chapters: the free movement of goods, the free movement of persons, the free movement of capital, transport policy, energy, culture and audio-visual policy and the environment. It is also possible that the chapters on competition policy and state aid, as well as justice and home affairs will be closed during Sweden's presidency.
During the Belgian presidency in the second half of the year, Slovenia will concentrate mainly on financial issues, the setting of quotas and the final agreement. The most difficult chapters, such as external economic relations and development aid, finance and budgetary provisions, agricultural policy, regional policy and co-ordination of structural instruments are expected to be closed during this period. With regard to development aid, the only outstanding issue is the demand for the preservation of a ten-year transition period for the maintenance of the preferential trade regime with some of the countries on the territory of the former SFRY. Slovenia is examining the new situation following the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the EU and Macedonia and the concessions granted to countries on the territory of the former SFRY and to Albania. A possible solution, which would be acceptable to Slovenia, is a greater liberalisation of EU trade regimes with these countries within the framework of EU activities within south-eastern Europe.