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N°17 |
Editorial Ten Central European countries
are preparing to join their cousins in the European Union with varying
degrees of readiness and capacities for reform. Our Ministry is naturally
contributing to this transformation by participating in the adoption
of the acquis communautaire by the accession countries. It is thus conducting
a major administrative twinning operation in Poland in the field of
road controls, helping to set up structural funds for transport in Hungary
and the Czech Republic, in conjunction with Datar1, and seeking
to create further twinning operations in various fields. Besides this
instructional activity, the Directorate of Economic and International
Affairs (DAEI) is addressing the economic aspects of enlargement. At
my request, Pierre Debeusscher, from CGPC2, has thus conducted
an important survey on challenges for French companies resulting from
the accession of new Member States to the Union. The recommendations
in his report will be implemented and carefully monitored by a follow-up
committee. This resolve to make the markets of Central and Eastern Europe
more accessible to French companies is also reflected in the many promotional
events that are being organized. This years most important event,
Public Works Days, is taking place in March, in Warsaw.
In partnership with CFCE3, we are also drawing up a guide
on the access of companies to public works markets in Eastern Europe.
Training is also high on our agenda of action. I must mention Cesroute
- an advanced training programme for executives in the road sector,
which admits several trainees from Eastern Europe each year and for
which Isted is the project owner. In conclusion, I would like to pay
tribute to our colleagues in Central and Eastern Europe for the considerable
work accomplished in such a few years and in often arduous conditions,
with a view to reforming their institutional framework and their economic
practices. The frank, sometimes sensitive but always friendly cooperative
relations we have forged with them over the past ten years doubtless
form one of the most challenging and promising aspects of our activity. Jean-Yves Perrot,
1 Délégation à
lAménagement du Territoire et à lAction Régionale (Delegation
for Economic Development and Regional Planning) Contents
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