The European Council welcomes the Commission's initiative for improving the efficacy and administration of the Commission in the light of the future development of the Union.It notes that the Council is also considering the scope for improvements in its own functioning.It invites the Council and the Commission to report on progress on these issues in the next Presidency,

There is a need to bring the EU closer to people and to focus it on the issues that matter most to the European citizens - including enhancing democratic legitimacy and making a reality of subsidiarity.

As a first step, the President of the European Council will convene an informal meeting of the Heads of State or Government and the President of the Commission to deepen their discussion and to examine how best to prepare for these issues to be considered at the Vienna European Council with a view to pursuing their discussion on the future of Europe.

ENLARGEMENT

62. Noting that the Luxembourg European Council assessed the candidatures addressed in Agenda2000 and took the decisions necessary to launch the overall enlargement process, the European Council welcomes the substantial progress made since Luxembourg in preparing for enlargement.

63.The Union's priority is to maintain the enlargement process for the countries covered in the Luxembourg European Council conclusions, within which they can actively pursue their candidatures and make progress towards taking on the obligations of membership, including the Copenhagen criteria.Each of these candidate countries will be judged on the basis of the same criteria and will proceed in its candidature at its own rate, depending on its degree of preparedness.Much will depend on the efforts made by the candidate countries themselves to meet the criteria.All will benefit from strengthened relations with the EU including through political dialogue and tailored strategies to help them prepare for accession.

64.The European Council welcomes the Commission's confirmation that it will submit at the end of 1998 its first regular reports on each candidate's progress towards accession.In the case of Turkey, reports will be based on Article 28 of the Association Agreement and the conclusions of the Luxembourg European Council.

65.The European Council welcomes the launch of the Accession Process in Brussels on 30 March.It is an evolutionary and inclusive process.A productive further meeting of the Ministers for Justice and Home Affairs of the 15 Members of the European Union with their opposite numbers from the 10 Central and East European

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