Question no 39 by Danute Budreikaite (H-0393/07)

Subject: Implementation of the Treaty on the Accession of the Kingdom of Sweden to the European Union

Article 2 of the first part of the Treaty concerning the accession of the Kingdom of Norway, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden to the European Union states that, from the date of accession, the provisions of the original Treaties and the acts adopted by the institutions before accession shall be binding on the new Member States and shall apply in those States under the conditions laid down in those Treaties and in this Act (of Accession).

It follows from the above that Sweden, pursuant to the Accession Treaty approved by referendum in 1995, must adopt the euro once it fulfils the Maastricht criteria. However, in spite of this obligation entered into by virtue of the Accession Treaty, Sweden has declined, by means of a referendum to introduce the euro.

Can the Commission, which monitors the application of EU law in the Member States, comment on the case of Sweden? Do other Member States also have the right to employ similar procedures, for example to guarantee their energy security?