accession criteria

Both countries still need more time to meet the accession criteria.

I would like to add a few words about the other, equally important, accession criteria.

This does not mean that I want to create an extra accession criterion.

I am very pleased that this was not set as a new accession criterion.

The time for a country to satisfy the accession criteria and the convergence period should be set.

This is not just a problem about Turkey and its compliance with the formal accession criteria.

After six years of negotiations, the time has come for recognition to be given to Croatia's efforts in meeting the accession criteria.

Why then, Mr Rehn, should new demands constantly be added to the accession criteria?

We have even made it an accession criteria.

However, we must not let ourselves be talked into simply disregarding our carefully compiled accession criteria for that reason.

We need to voice these concerns and our commitment to promoting gender equality as an accession criterion in tomorrow's vote.

That means the first and for me the most important accession criterion formulated in Copenhagen is not an obstacle.

Meeting accession criteria has also necessitated the adoption of tough and often unpopular measures.

However, it is also a country which needs to do more to get closer to EU norms and accession criteria.

All accession criteria must definitely be met, but Serbia is a European country and should become part of the Union.

Rather support Turkey's accession according to the accession criteria that the Community itself has set.

However, these can only be fulfilled if Croatia is truly ready for accession and all accession criteria are met.

That is quite normal in a democracy, but it can certainly give rise to a delay in fulfilling the accession criteria when the time comes.

This is why I call on the Turkish Government to step up the reform process in order to fulfil the accession criteria completely.

I feel that it is unfair to mix criteria specific to justice system reform with the Schengen area accession criteria.

It is not only culturally and historically rooted in Central Europe, it also meets the accession criteria.

Let us encourage them to meet the Union’s accession criteria, but let us not create unfair barriers for them.

It may provide an example for states in the region with regard to their accession prospects in terms of meeting the accession criteria and conditions.

Rather, as Chancellor Schüssel rightly said this morning, the accession criteria should be made precise and concrete; they should not remain pure rhetoric.

All Member States that meet the accession criteria not only can join the Eurozone, but must join it.