| dc.description.abstract | In Agenda 2000 the Commission said it would report regularly to the EuropeanCouncil on progress made by each of the candidate countries of Central and EasternEurope in preparations for membership and that it would submit its first report at theend of 1998. The European Council in Luxembourg decided that“From the end of 1998, the Commission will make regular reports to the Council,together with any necessary recommendations for opening bilateral intergovernmentalconferences, reviewing the progress of each Central and East European applicantState towards accession in the light of the Copenhagen criteria, in particular the rate atwhich it is adopting the Union acquis. Prior to those reports, implementation of theaccession partnerships and progress in adopting the acquis will be examined witheach applicant State in the Europe Agreement bodies. The Commission's reports willserve as a basis for taking, in the Council context, the necessary decisions on theconduct of the accession negotiations or their extension to other applicants. In thatcontext, the Commission will continue to follow the method adopted by Agenda 2000in evaluating applicant States' ability to meet the economic criteria and fulfil theobligations deriving from accession. |
