ABSTRACT
After the enlargement decisions of the Luxembourg Summit it was from January 1998 onwards the responsibility of the British Council Presidency to lead the Union back to the lowlands of detail work and to prepare the negotiations of enlargement. The acquis screening means the complete review of the body of law of the European Union (EU). The enlargement of the EU was one of the most important fields of policy for the Austrian Council Presidency. Some EU States still wanted to wait with the negotiations. One of the arguments put forward for it concerned Cyprus. In line with the enhanced pre-accession strategy, which was decided by the European Council of Luxembourg, Poland and Hungary Action for the Restructuring of the Economy became the financial pillar for the preparation for membership. The instrument of structural policy is the financial tool of the Union for supporting the ten Central and Eastern European countries in the acquis implementation regarding environment and transport.
