News

According to the Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis, our accession negotiations have now reached the final stage, when only the most important strategic issues remain to be dealt with. Commenting of the outcome of the Lithuanian - EU negotiation round at ministerial level of June 11 in Luxembourg, he pointed out that the approval of the agreement on Energy and Regional Policy chapters shows that alongside to Ignalina NPP issue we will be able to focus on such important matters as agriculture or financial and budgetary provisions. Minister Valionis stated that this stage was reached mainly because Lithuania succeeded in reaching an essential agreement with the EU member states, indicating that the closure of Ignalina NPP is a long-term challenge not commensurate with the size and economic strength of Lithuania, and the EU pledged its readiness to continue to provide adequate additional Community assistance. Speaking on the EU report Antanas Valionis stressed that the assistance from the EU budget is to be long-term and additional to the structural funds, i.e. it will be allocated through a separate EU budgetary line. Taking this into consideration, Lithuania commits to close Unit 2 of Ignalina NPP by 2009. The Foreign Minister noted that this commitment is clearly linked to EU assistance. A decision on provisionally closing the Regional Policy chapter was also adopted at the meeting. Antanas Valionis indicated that EU financial assistance to deal with the consequences of the closure of Ignalina NPP should be without prejudice and additional to the assistance provided to Lithuania through the structural funds and the Cohesion Fund. During the meeting, Lithuania and the EU also co-ordinated veterinary and fitosanitary sectors of Agriculture negotiating chapter, which is a serious recognition of Lithuania’s progress in food safety and veterinary fields. Lithuania and the EU agreed on four transitional periods in this sector. During the negotiations session, the chapter of Financial and Budgetary Provisions was also discussed. Minister Valionis noted that “as far as Lithuania’s contribution to the EU budget after succession is concerned, I consider that we should search for solutions which guarantee that in net terms Lithuania will not be worse off in 2004 than in 2003”. “Net positions of new members considerably improve in 2004 as compared to 2003. Commissioner Verheugen has also confirmed that view”. During the visit, Foreign Minister Valionis spoke at a seminar organised by the European Policy Centre in Brussels. The Chief of the Lithuanian diplomacy also met with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Günter Verheugen, the new French Minister delegated for European Affairs Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres and the new Hungarian Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs.