European Parliament
President.
As they deal with the same subject, the following questions will be taken together:
Question No 60 by Bernd Posselt 
Subject: Introduction of the euro in the ten new Member States
What is the Commissioner's view of the current state of preparations and the schedule for the introduction of the euro in the ten EU Member States which acceded to the EU on 1 May 2004?
Question No 61 by Justas Vincas Paleckis 
Subject: Accession of new EU Member States to the euro zone
According to opinions expressed in the press and in official statements, assessment of new EU Member States’ readiness to join the euro zone will take account not only of the Maastricht criteria but also of each country’s general economic level of development. Specifically, it has been declared that Slovenia, on account of its higher level of GDP per head than that of Lithuania and Estonia, can be invited to join the euro zone, whereas the latter two countries will not be invited to do so even if they fulfil the Maastricht criteria, including the level of inflation.
Are these statements accurate? Can the Commission give a clear assurance that any decision on the accession of new Member States to the euro zone will be made on the basis of the Maastricht criteria alone and not of any other criteria?

