A3-0298/94

Resolution on Finland's application to join the European Union

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the motion for a resolution by Mr Baron Crespo, Mrs Cassanmagnago Cerretti and Mr Crampton on the progress of accession negotiations with Finland (B3-1132/93),

-having regard to Finland's application for Community membership of 18 March 1992 and to the opinion of the European Commission of 4 November 1992,

-having regard to the report from the Presidency of the Council on the results of the negotiations on the accession of Austria, Sweden, Finland and Norway to the European Union of 9 March 1994,

-having regard to its earlier resolution on enlargement, in particular its resolutions of 15 July 1993 on enlargement, 17 November 1993 on the negotiations concerning enlargement of the Union to include Austria, Sweden, Finland and Norway and of 9 February 1994 on the state of enlargement negotiations with Austria, Sweden, Finland and Norway,

-having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security and the opinions of the committees concerned (A3-0298/94),

A.convinced that Finland's participation in the European Union will be beneficial for all its members as well as for the four applicant countries in the political, economic, social and cultural field, and that it will contribute considerably to increased stability on the European continent,

B.congratulating the European Commission on finding imaginative solutions to a number of difficult problems such as environmental, regional and alcohol policy while at the same time respecting the acquis communautaire,

C.recognizing the considerable difficulties which Finnish agriculture has to face as a result of the Arctic and Sub-Arctic climate,

D.recognising Finland's commitment to European stability and security, the CSCE process and United Nations peace keeping activities,

E.noting the Finnish President's statement to the European Parliament that Finland is "fully prepared to play an active part in the common foreign and security policy and in its further development as provided for in the Treaty",

F.aware that until now Finland has regulated the sale and marketing of alcohol through state intervention for reasons of public health and that she is currently reforming her alcohol policy to ensure full transparency and non-discrimination,

G.welcoming the fact that Finland has accepted the acquis communautaire and the goal of European integration; pointing out that the common foreign and security policy is one of the foundations of future European integration,

H.expressing its deep dissatisfaction with the lack of reaction in the Council on the institutional aspects of enlargement; calling for institutional changes to ensure that the Union operates smoothly and institutional reforms to guarantee that the decision-making structure is democratic, effective and transparent,

I.welcoming the fact that cooperation between the Nordic countries in the framework of the Nordic Council can continue within the European Union,

1.Welcomes the successful conclusion of the accession negotiations with Finland and the other applicant countries;

2.Welcomes the fact that Finland ratified the EEA Agreement which has led to a rapid conclusion of the enlargement negotiations and which will also enable Finland to contribute to the further development and consolidation of the internal market;

3.Notes the confirmation by Finland of its full acceptance of rights and obligations attaching to the Union and its institutional framework and the acquis communautaire;

4.Believes that this will enable Finland to participate fully and actively in the common foreign and security policy as defined in the Treaty on the European Union;

5.Recalls that the main aim of the regional and agricultural policy of the candidate countries, in particular Finland, is to ensure that their populations as a whole enjoy the same economic, commercial and social conditions and hence to ensure that the peripheral regions with a harsh climate remain populated; recognizes also that regional and agricultural policy plays a major part in the security and environmental policies of the Nordic countries;

6.Expresses its satisfaction with the establishment of a new objective 6 of the structural funds for regions in Finland with a very low population density (less than 8 inhabitants per square kilometre);

7.Welcomes the fact that EU farm prices will apply in Finland from day one of accession; believes that the mechanisms to assist the integration of Finnish agriculture into the CAP are fair and reasonable; notes in particular that the whole of Finland will be eligible for Nordic, national and/or Community support;

8.Notes the agreements reached with Finland on the financial and budgetary provisions and on the transitional arrangements for budgetary compensations and commitments deriving from the EEA Agreement;

9.Reminds the Council of the European Parliament's role as part of the Budgetary Authority in relation to the agricultural and regional policies which calls for a revision of the financial prospective;

10.Recalls that for several decades Finland has been an important trading partner of the European Community and that its accession to the European Union will contribute to strengthening even further the weight and influence of the Union in the context of international trade;

11.Notes, however, that, for the purposes of adopting the CCT, Finland has been given the option, in a three-year transitional period, of levying duties exceeding the Union rates on 190 products, including textiles and electronic devices; voices its misgivings about the impact of this concession from the point of view of the single market;

12.Points out that considerable adjustments will have to be made to Finnish commercial policy in order to bring it into line with the common commercial policy;

13.Points out that, once Finland (and the other applicant countries) have joined, the Union will need to review its external economic relations and, in particular, adjust its commercial policy measures (textile quotas under the MFA, remaining quantitative restrictions applying to former state-trading countries, GSP, Euratom agreements); points, further, to the need for the Union to open negotiations with its trading partners as soon as possible, as is required in the light of Article XXIV(6) of the GATT;

14.Draws attention to the problem that enlargement will present as regards voluntary restraint on exports ('grey area' measures) and, more especially, in terms of the understanding between the EU and Japan on motor vehicle imports;

15.Welcomes the fact that the European Union will conclude free trade agreements with the Baltic countries, which will allow the candidate countries, having become full members, to maintain their present privileged trade relations with the Baltic states;

16.Hopes that traditional economic relations between Finland and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including the former Soviet republics, will not be adversely affected by enlargement and that the future course of Union policy will be such as to enable them to develop for the benefit of the areas concerned;

17.Points out that Finland has set out guidelines for its monetary policy which are in line with the future EMU requirements laid down by the Maastricht Treaty, and expects its participation in the monetary cooperation within the European Union to improve the prospects of realizing the third phase of the EMU in due time;

18.Notes that Finland will be abolishing its alcohol production, import and wholesale monopolies but that the retail monopoly may continue provided it is non-discriminatory;

19.Notes that Finland has a derogation for travellers' allowances for a period of two years similar to the Danish derogation;

20.Notes that Finland has a five year derogation on secondary residences;

21.Welcomes the agreement that Finland can maintain its higher environmental standards in certain areas pending a four year review of EU environmental policy and calls on the Commission to submit proposals before 1 January 1995 for a reform which will ensure that the applicant countries continue to be able to maintain their existing high environmental standards after 1 January 1999, within the existing acquis;

22.Welcomes the respect shown for the rights of the Sami people in the negotiations;

23.Notes that the two official languages of Finland - Finnish and Swedish - will become official languages of the EU; nonetheless believes that having twelve working languages will make the work of the Parliament more unwieldy and expensive; calls on the Conference of Presidents to look into this matter urgently with a view to finding a solution to this problem which respects the rights of members while at the same time facilitating the effective execution of Parliament's responsibility to ensure proper democratic accountability within the EU;

24.Notes that the accession of the four EFTA countries is expected to contribute to the stability of the European continent, and believes that enlargement towards the eligible countries of the south will further enhance the geo-political balance of the European Union;

25.Welcomes the negotiation result on the Åland islands which creates the possibility for Ålanders to decide on their position on membership ;

26.Welcomes the fact that Finland has a long tradition of democracy; is convinced that, as a full member, Finland will contribute actively to the efforts of the present Member States of the European Union to improve the democratization process in the Union;

27.Reminds the Council of its earlier resolutions on the institutional aspects of enlargement and once again calls for an immediate opening of an interinstitutional dialogue between the Parliament, the Council and the Commission to consider means of guaranteeing the effective functioning of the institutions following enlargement;

28.Stresses the urgent need, bearing in mind its assent to enlargement of the Union, for the European Council in Corfu to make a formal public undertaking on Parliament's full participation in the reforms planned for 1996;

29.Calls on the Commission to take all necessary steps to ensure that adequate information on the European Union is available to the population in Finland;

30.Supports Finland's accession to the European Union on 1 January 1995 out of a sense of general political responsibility, despite the evident shortcomings in the institutional development of the European Union and the deficiencies in the procedure for informing the European Parliament about the accession treaties;

31.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States and the Government and the Parliament of Finland.