| dc.description.abstract | In Agenda 2000, the Commission said it would report regularly to the European Council onprogress made by each of the candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe inpreparations for membership, and that it would submit its first Report at the end of 1998.The European Council in Luxembourg decided that“From the end of 1998, the Commission will make Regular Reports to the Council, togetherwith any necessary recommendations for opening bilateral intergovernmental conferences,reviewing the progress of each Central and Eastern European applicant State towardsaccession in the light of the Copenhagen criteria, in particular the rate at which it is adopting theUnion acquis” ... “The Commission’s reports will serve as the basis for taking, in the Councilcontext, the necessary decisions on the conduct of the accession negotiations or their extensionto other applicants. In that context, the Commission will continue to follow the method adoptedby Agenda 2000 in evaluating applicant States’ ability to meet the economic criteria and fulfilthe obligations deriving from accession.” |
