Newcomers to Sign EU Membership Treaties

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, April 16, 2003

Newcomers to Sign EU Membership Treaties

The 10 countries joining the European Union began gathering in Athens on Tuesday to sign treaties on joining in May 2004.

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The 10 countries joining the European Union began gathering in Athens on Tuesday to sign treaties on joining in May 2004.

In an encouraging sign, Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved joining the EU. Tuesday's 365-1 vote was mostly formal, but it reflects that the benefits of joining the 15-nation bloc far outweigh the disadvantages for the 10 mostly eastern European candidates.

Slovenia and Malta also have approved accession, and the other seven candidates -- Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Cyprus -- are expected to follow soon.

Wednesday's treaty signings in Athens will cap a decade of tough reforms after many of the new signatories shed communist rule.

The 10 joining nations will bring 75 million people into the EU -- raising its population to 450 million.

The newcomers' wealth ranges from barely 29 percent of the EU average in Lithuania to 85 percent in Cyprus.

Officials from another country seeking entry, Turkey, promised Tuesday to make the necessary reforms to begin negotiations by 2004 on becoming a member.

The EU has put safety measures into the accession treaties, including a 10-year cap on farm subsidies and an emergency brake on trade from the east if it floods westward in exceptional quantities.

Economists now see little negative economic impact on the current members.

The focus ahead of the Athens summit has shifted to political divisions since current EU members Britain, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Portugal and the Netherlands -- as well as eastern European nations -- decided to side with Washington concerning Iraq.

Source: Agencies

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