CDU Deutschlands / Englisch / European Agenda

INDEX

	The "we-society"- the need for a New Social Market Economy
	Papers on European Foreign and Security Policy
	Successful Policies for over 50 Years
	Our National Aspiration
	Leadership for the 21st century
	Our Future: Germany as part of a unified Europe
	Principles and Programme of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany

I N F O R M A T I O N

European Agenda

1. Institutional Questions:

October 15, 1999

Council of Foreign ministers present draft of European Charta of Basic Civil Rights to special EU-summit at Tampere, Finland
EU-summit at Tampere, Finland, summons a convention consisting of MPs, MEPs, representatives of the European Commission, and of the governments of the EU-member states to finish work on European Charta of Basic Civil Rights

December 1999
Finnish EU-presidency tables report on institutional reforms, especially voting distribution in the Council of Ministers, composition of the European Commission, and further extension of majority voting in the Council of Ministers, to EU-summit at Helsinki, Finland

Beginning of 2000
Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on institutional reforms, especially voting distribution in the Council of Ministers, composition of the European Commission, and further extension of majority voting in the Council of Ministers

December 2000

EU-summit at Paris concludes Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on institutional reforms, especially voting distribution in the Council of Ministers, composition of the European Commission, and further extension of majority voting in the Council of Ministers
Solemn declaration on European Charta of Basic Civil Right
Passing of a resolution integrating WEU into EU

2000-2001

Ratification of the EU-treaty of Paris on institutional reforms, especially voting distribution in the Council of Ministers, composition of the European Commission, and further extension of majority voting in the Council of Ministers
Ratification of the resolution of integrating WEU into the EU

At the earliest in 2000
Implementation of the Schengen Agreement in Greece and in the Nordic Passport Union (Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Iceland)

Until May 1, 2004
Unanimous Decision of the Council of the EU in which issues of internal and judicial community polices majority voting is introduced

At the latest in 2004
Unanimous Decision of the Council of the EU in which issues of internal and judicial community polices majority voting is introduced

2. Economic and Monetary Union (EMU):

2000 (probably)
Referendum on EMU in Denmark and Sweden

January 1, 2001 (probably)
Greece joins EMU

January 1, 2002
Start of the introduction of European bills and coins

February 28, 2002
End of the introduction of European bills and coins in Germany

June 30, 2002 at the latest
End of the introduction of European bills and coins (in all participating countries)

2002 (possibly)
Referendum on EMU in the United Kingdom

January 1, 2005 (possibly)
Start of the introduction of European bills and coins in the United Kingdom

3. Policy Reforms:

September 1998 to February 2000
Negotiations between the EU and the ACP-countries on the Lomé-V-Convention (2000-2005)

Beginning of December 1999
Start of the WTO-negotiations to liberalise agricultural trade in Seattle, Washington, USA

March 2000
Lomé-V-Convention (2000-2005) goes into effect

2003
Conclusion of the WTO-negotiations to liberalise agricultural trade

4. NATO-Enlargement:

September 18, 1999 (possibly)
Start of the multinational (German-Danish-Polish) NATO-Corps Northeast in Szeczin, Poland

Until 2002
NATO-summit discusses on second group of Central and Eastern European countries to join NATO

5. EU-Enlargement:

December 1999
European Council of Helsinki decides on opening accession negotiations with Malta and likely Slovakia and Latvia

No sooner than in 2001
Conclusion of accession negotiations with first Central and Eastern European states

No sooner than in 2002
Ratification of accession treaties with first Central and Eastern European states

January 1, 2003 (earliest possible date)
First Central and Eastern European states join the European Union

6. Partnership with Russia:

The following steps have already been taken:

Membership of the Council of Europe in 1996
Signing of the Founding Act Russia-NATO in Paris, France on May 27, 1997
Membership of G8 (most industrialised countries) at the World Economic Summit in Denver, Colorado, USA on June 20-22, 1997
Membership the Club of debtor states in Paris, France at the World Economic Summit in Denver, Colorado, USA on June 20-22, 1997
Ratification of the EU-Treaty on Partnership and Co-operation: December 1, 1997

The following steps still has to be taken:

By the end of 2000 (possibly)
Membership of World Trade Organisation (WTO) at Geneva, Switzerland

1999 (possibly)
2. German-French-Russian Summit in France:

Common military transportation plane
European motorway Paris-Berlin-Warsaw-Moscow
Common art exhibition in 2000
Common history book
Foundation of a common University of the 21st Century
Common Special Unit for Catastrophe Relief