Cyprus in harmonisation race before the autumn

CYPRUS is now on the last and hardest phase of harmonisation with the European Union and will have to mobilise all its forces to fulfil its obligations, the Co-ordinator for Cyprus’ Harmonisation with the EU, Takis Hadjidemetriou, warned yesterday.

Speaking after a meeting with a 15-member European Commission delegation, here to monitor implementation of the acquis communautaire, Hadjidemetriou likened the path to EU accession to a race: “Cyprus is in a 100-metre race regarding implementation of the acquis and we will have to mobilise all our forces to respond to our remaining obligations.”

The head of the EU negotiating team for Cyprus’ accession, Leopold Maurer, said the delegation would help Cyprus complete everything by autumn when the final monitoring report would be issued. “But this needs effort by parliament because many laws need to be adopted soon to comply with the deadlines set by the Commission,” he warned.

“The last 100 metres to the top of Everest are the hardest,” Hadjidemetriou said, adding that with the co-operation of the House and the government, the country would be able to respond. “We are close to the top and can respond to our obligations.”

The three main issues still on the table are energy, telecommunications and environment.

“The issue of energy is almost complete and the bill is before the House for the liberalisation of electricity supply”, said Hadjidemetriou. Regarding telecommunications, he acknowledged there were problems, but believed Cyprus could meet the deadline if a second mobile licence was granted by the end of October.

Hadjidemetriou noted that a number of new bills would have to be tabled in the House by the end of July in order to examine them in time. “We will have to complete everything we have before the summer recess and ask the government to speed up the tabling of bills so that by the end of July or early August we can have a session to pass the laws,” he concluded.

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