The Committee voted to adopt a triple approach for responding to the
challenge of Agenda 2000 and enlargement. Tom SPENCER said that the
committee has opted for an approach that balances the problem of treating
the applicant countries with equity while recognizing that some countries
are readier for membership than others. The report by Enrique BARON CRESPO
(PES, E) and Arie OOSTLANDER (EPP, NL), adopted by 31 votes for, 10 against
and 4 abstentions, recommends that "intensive negotiations should begin with
the countries which have made the most progress" i.e. Hungary, Poland, Czech
Republic, Estonia, Slovenia, Cyprus in early 1998. The committee believes
that the development of negotiations will depend upon the extent to which
each applicant country meets the accession requirements (political and
economical) and its ability to take on board the "acquis communautaire".