EU to expand in 2003?
There have been frequent complaints from the twelve candidate countries applying for EU membership, including the Czech Republic, that the Union has consistently failed to set a date for accession. Some EU representatives say this will happen in 2003, whilst others claim that 2005 is the earliest possible date; but all member states share concerns over the candidate states readiness to join the EU. But on Sunday, European Commission President Romano Prodi noted that he believed six countries--without naming them--would be ready to join the European Union in 2003. As the Czech Republic is one of the frontrunners for EU membership, it is highly probable that it would be included in this group. Dita Asiedu spoke to political commentator Vaclav Zak, and asked him if he believed the Czech Republic would be prepared for EU membership by 2003:
So will the Czech Republic's economic system break down when faced with increased competition? The chief Czech negotiator for EU entry, Pavel Telicka, assured us that it won't:
