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Proposes enlargement of the EU.
In all, 12 countries are currently
negotiating accession to the European Union:
Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and
Slovenia.
In addition, Turkey has been recognised as a
candidate for membership.
The Treaty of Nice
enhances Parliament’s role as co-legislator.
The Treaty of Nice
creates a new legal basis which will allow the Council to lay down
regulations governing political parties at European level,
particularly as regards their funding.
Looking ahead to
the enlargement of the Union, the Treaty of Nice limited the number of
MEPs to a maximum of 732 and allocated seats between Member States and
candidate countries.
Other changes
include restricting the size of the institutions to prevent them becoming
unmanageable with the enlargement of the EU. For example the ECJ
will sit with a maximum of 13 judges and not the full court in plenary
session. |
1. Implements in UK law the EU Accession Treaty It provides a power to
grant citizens of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic,
Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia the right to work in the UK from 1 May
2004.
A copy of the Act, together with Explanatory Notes.
2. Provides for the accession of
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Estonia,
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Latvia,
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Lithuania,
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Poland,
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the Czech Republic,
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Slovakia,
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Hungary,
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Slovenia,
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Cyprus and
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Malta
to the EU on 1 May 2004, and sets out the
terms and conditions of their membership. The 15 current Member States and
the ten new Members must all ratify the Treaty by 30 April 2004 in order
for it to enter into force in all 25 states on 1 May 2004. Now that the
new Act has become law, the UK Government will proceed to ratify the
Treaty by the end of 2003.
3. Under the EU Accession Treaty, citizens of all ten new Member States
will enjoy the same right to travel freely across the EU as is enjoyed by
citizens of the current Member States, for all but one of the purposes
envisaged by the EC Treaty. The Accession Treaty allows the 15 current
Member States to impose temporary restrictions on the right of citizens of
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary
and Slovenia to travel freely across the EU for the purpose of work. These
restrictions may last, at the most, until 30 April 2011. Cypriot and
Maltese citizens will enjoy free movement for work across the EU
automatically on accession.
4. The UK Government intends to granted citizens of the eight states
affected by temporary restrictions the right to work freely in the UK
labour market since 1 May 2004, the Government retains the right to impose
safeguards until 30 April 2011. |
Commenced 1st January 2004 |
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Cyprus,
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the Czech Republic,
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Estonia,
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Hungary,
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Latvia,
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Lithuania,
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Malta,
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Poland,
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the Slovak Republic and
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Slovenia.
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