06/02/98: Bureau of the Group of the European People's Party meets in Warsaw: 9-11 February 1998

PRESS RELEASES and SPEECHES

Programme (DE, EN, FR)

In view of the start of negotiations for Poland's accession to the European Union, the Bureau of the Group of the European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament will meet in Warsaw from 9-11 February 1998 to discuss various aspects of Poland's ever closer relationship with the European Union.

In addition to the Polish Prime Minister, Jerzy BUZEK, the following will participate in the discussion sessions: Deputy Prime Minster and Minister of Finance Leszek BALCEROWICZ; Minister of Employment Longin KOMOLOWSKI; Minister of Agriculture Jacek JANISZEWSKI; Minister of Justice Mme Hanna SUCHOCKA; Minister of the Interior Janusc TOMASZEWSKI and Minister of Education Miroslaw HANDKE.

The following themes will be debated:

Enlargement of the European Union - consolidating civil society in Poland and human values in Europe

The role of the market - the social situation in Poland

Agriculture

Criminality - the shock of new freedoms

Negotiations for accession

A programme of the Bureau meeting is attached. Meetings will be open to the press.

The leaders of the political parties which constitute Poland's Coalition Government - ‘Election Action Solidarity (AWS)' and ‘Union for Freedom (UW) - will also contribute to the discussions.

The Union for Freedom (UW) Party, led by Deputy Prime Minister Leszek BALCEROWICZ, will also be presenting its application for membership of the European People's Party (EPP). A formal decision will be taken by the EPP in June of this year following discussions and recommendation in March. The EPP, which comprises 21 of the European Union's Christian Democrat and related parties, has already embraced 10 new parties from Central and Eastern Europe.

The former Belgian Prime Minister Wilfried MARTENS is Chairman of both the European People's Party and the EPP Group in the European Parliament.