EU takes firm line on expansion

New European Union president Denmark said yesterday the bloc would not hold up enlargement if some candidate countries were not ready by the end of this year, and would go ahead and admit those that were.

His comments appeared to be partly aimed at Poland, by far the largest of the 10 candidates hoping to close accession talks in December. In the past, some German politicians have suggested enlargement could not go ahead without Poland.

In a tough message clearly designed to show that Denmark would be no pushover on enlargement, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said all candidates must meet all the political and economic conditions of EU membership.

"No country should wait for others. There are differences in the size of countries but not in their rights and obligations," he told the European Parliament.

"We will maintain the demand that the criteria should be fulfilled for becoming members. I will not compromise on this demand, which is one of principle," said Rasmussen, whose country took over the EU's six-month presidency on Monday.

Poland has made good progress in negotiations in recent months, closing a gap which had emerged last year between it and other frontrunners such as the Czech Republic and Hungary.

But EU officials are concerned about the possible impact of Poland's economic slowdown, and the political tussles it has created, on its accession preparations.

On Tuesday, Finance Minister Marek Belka resigned, removing the leftist government's main advocate of the spending restraint Poland needs in order to qualify for the common euro currency.

Rasmussen reaffirmed an EU timetable which envisages sealing enlargement of the bloc, which now has 15 members, at a Copenhagen summit in December. Those missing the deadline may have to wait for a second wave not expected before 2007.

"I am not saying it is now or never, but if we don't grab this opportunity now enlargement could be delayed considerably," he told the EU lawmakers.

The 10 countries hoping to win an invitation to join the EU in December are Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Cyprus and Malta.