MINISTER JOE BORG WELCOMES "QUALITATIVE STEP FORWARD" IN MALTA-EU NEGOTIATIONS

At the fourth meeting of the accession conference at ministerial level held today in Luxembourg, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joe Borg welcomed the "qualitative step forward" that has been made in the negotiations for Malta's accession to the European Union. The meeting confirmed agreement on the first transition periods for Malta and the closure of negotiations on two of the core internal market areas, namely, free trade in goods and in services.

Addressing the conference, Minister Borg welcomed the progress in negotiations. To date Malta has opened negotiations on twenty seven areas and provisionally closed negotiations in sixteen areas. Minister Borg said that discussions now needed to focus on some very sensitive aspects and that it was essential for flexibility to be exercised so that favourable consideration could be given to Malta's requests. This was essential to ensure that Maltese public opinion be maintained in favour of Malta's accession, so that the final negotiated package will obtain overwhelming support.

Minister Borg added that, in view of the recent Irish referendum, more clear and specific terminology needed to be used in this week's EU Summit meeting in Gothenburg both with regard to the timeframe for completion of negotiations as well as with regard to the date of accession itself.

During the first half of this year, under the Swedish Presidency, Malta opened discussions on eleven new areas, leaving only Justice & Home Affairs and agriculture to be opened later in the second half of this year under the Belgian Presidency. The meeting also saw the formal provisional closure of negotiations on free trade in goods, services, energy and financial control.

Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh, on behalf of the Swedish Presidency, pointed to the "significant progress" made, adding that Malta's results in negotiations were "impressive".

Minister Lindh also referred to the outcome of the Irish referendum on the Nice Treaty and reiterated the EU's commitment to enlargement and to sustaining the good progress made in negotiations.

EU Commissioner Gunter Verheugen underlined the progress achieved by Malta and looked forward to making further progress in the negotiations during the Belgian Presidency.

The conference was also addressed by Ambassador Frans Van Daele, Permanent Representative of Belgium, which will be taking over the Presidency of the EU in the second half of this year. Ambassador Van Daele said that during the Belgian Presidency the process of enlargement will be a key priority. Belgium will retain the same rhythm in the process of negotiations and will seek to concretise it further. He added that the Belgian Presidency will also retain the EU's commitment to the principle of differentiation, enabling each candidate country to move forward on its own merits.