Officially labeled the union's pre-accession strategy for countries that have association agreements with Brussels, the plan sets out what the executive European Commission calls a route map for turning their ambition of joining the EU into reality.
Six former communist countries -- Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria -- have association accords with the EU.
The EU summit in Copenhagen in June last year pledged to admit associated countries to EU membership once they had gone far enough in Western-style democratic and free-market economic reforms.
Although the package to be submitted for approval at this week's two-day summit in the German town of Essen does not set a target date for countries to join, it endorses the following reforms to bring EU enlargement to Eastern Europe closer:
?Guaranteed minimum funding of 5.5 billion ecus ($6.6 billion) over five years for the PHARE program for technical and investment aid to the East European countries, up to 25 percent of it to cofinance loans for improvements to road, rail and energy infrastructure.
?Regular meetings between EU and East European government leaders and ministers in what is called a structured dialogue to build up cooperation and show how EU decision-making works.
?Preparation of a commission white paper setting out a check list of legislative steps the Eastern countries must take to participate fully in the EU single market.
?Help to the Eastern states in building an effective competition and state aids policy, with the aim of controlling the level of subsidies and training officials involved in monitoring competition rules.
?Removal of EU tariffs for Romania and Bulgaria to be speeded up in line with a timetable for the other four associated countries, which will mean their industrial goods entering the EU free of tariffs and quotas around the year 2000.
?The commission undertakes to present a study in the second half of 1995 on alternative strategies for development of agricultural relations between the EU and the Eastern countries.
?The commission proposes to offer information to associated states before initiating antidumping or safeguard measures in trade rows, and says it will consider refraining from such steps as they adapt to the single market.
?The commission plans to liberalize trade in textile products that are sent to East European countries for finishing, and to simplify trading rules of origin to encourage subcontracting and investment there by EU companies.
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