ABSTRACT

By the end of 1997 the broad parameters of the first rounds of both North Atlantic Co-operation Council (NATO) and European Union (EU) enlargement had become clear. Following on from the Madrid decision, at their ministerial meeting in December 1997, NATO member states had concluded protocols of accession with the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. The European Council meeting in Amsterdam in June 1997 represented the completion of the Intergovernmental Conference whereby preparations for enlargement were set in motion. The announcement made in Amsterdam was, therefore, not a divisive one but provided an objective evaluation of the applicant states' current state of preparation for membership. The main focus of the discussions in this chapter is on these challenging issues. They will each be examined in terms of their relevance to and impact on both the EU and NATO enlargement processes. Many Senators had been less concerned about EU enlargement moving beyond or ahead of NATO's than had the Clinton administration.