By Anthony O. Miller
Donato Chiarini, new head of the EU Commission’s Delegation to Cyprus, diplomatically termed it only a “courtesy call”, but Commerce Minister Nicos Rolandis suggested his talks yesterday with Chiarini were “a little more” than that.
If nothing else, their get-together was constructive, as it came on the eve of the semi-annual Summit of the EU heads of state and government this Friday and Saturday in Vienna, according to Chiarini’s spokesman, Nicholas Karides.
“We discussed the (Cyprus-EU) accession process,” and the fact that the Republic is “going through the screening and negotiating process rather comfortably,” Rolandis said.
This is “because the economy of Cyprus is in better condition than the economies of the other (EU fast-track) countries, (all) of Central Europe, which came out of a different (communist) system.” The six fast-track countries are Cyprus, Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Hungary.
“It was the conclusion of both of us that the process would be rather smooth,” Rolandis said, adding: “These are the messages I get from Brussels, myself… It appears that the (EU) commissioners, as well, feel that from this point of view, at least, Cyprus is proceeding quite satisfactorily” to membership.
Rolandis said he and Chiarini did not discuss the November 9 joint communiqué of EU members Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, suggesting it would be impossible for Cyprus to join the 15-member European Union if, by the time the accession process drew to a close, the island remained divided.
“I told him this is a question that has been there, and is still there, and may be there in the future as well. Our policy at the moment is to proceed with the screening and negotiating process, and… cross this bridge when we come to it.
“It doesn’t make any sense to discuss this issue now. Of course, we are concerned because of this situation, but it will not help if we start discussing it at this stage. We’d rather view the technocratic aspect (of accession) at this stage,” Rolandis said.
Rolandis said he and Chiarini also did not touch on the EU’s expressed concerns that Cyprus’s offshore sector may conflict with EU policies and give the island an unfair advantage over other EU member states, “although we know that this is an issue.”
“We talked (instead) generally about some adjustments which have to be made to the legislation and the economy of Cyprus,” he said, including the fact “that we still have a number of monopolies here and there,” which Cyprus must address, “because they cannot remain as such with the European Union.”
“They have to be resolved,” he said, adding the government knows that, even with the “transition period on these questions” that the European Union allows, “there is not much time left.”
“If we are targeting the year 2004 or 2005 (for EU entry), then we must make sure that by that time, we take the necessary measures to avoid whatever is not acceptable in the European Union… because where we are going, these practices are not acceptable.”
“What we are doing – and this is something we are starting at the ministry – is a gradual process of adjustment,” he said, “otherwise it may prove difficult for certain sectors of the community. We are moving gradually to resolve these questions.”
Karides said this weekend’s EU summit was preparatory for Austria, which currently holds the six-month rotating EU presidency, to surrender the post to Germany in January.
In that regard, Germany’s Ambassador to Cyprus, Gabrielle von Maisen- Tilborch noted recently that Detlev Graf zu Rantzau would take over as EU Presidency Envoy for Cyprus from Britain’s Sir David Hannay.
