Agenda 2000
Agenda 2000 : This action programme was adopted by the European Commission on 15 July 1997 as an official response to requests made by the Madrid European Council in December 1995 that it present a general document on enlargement and the reform of the common policies, and a communication on the European Union's future financial framework after 31 December 1999. Agenda 2000 tackled all the questions facing the Union at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Attached to it are the Commission's opinions on the countries that applied for Union membership: The first addressed the question of the Union's internal operation, particularly the reform of the common agricultural policy and of the policy of economic and social cohesion. It also contained proposals for a new financial framework to be put in place for the period 2000-06. The second proposed a reinforced pre-accession strategy, incorporating two new elements: the partnership for accession and extended participation of the applicant countries in Community programmes and the mechanisms for applying the Community acquis. The third consisted of a study on the impact of the effects of enlargement on European Union policies. These priorities were fleshed out in some 20 legislative proposals put forward by the European Commission in 1998. The Berlin European Council reached an overall political agreement on the legislative package in 1999 with the result that the measures were adopted the same year. They covered four closely linked areas for the period 2000-06: reform of the common agricultural policy; reform of the structural policy; pre-accession instruments; financial framework. See: Enlargement of the European Union
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