The EU has reaffirmed plans to admit Cyprus to the union despite the failure by Turkish and Greek Cypriots to agree to a UN-brokered plan to unify the country.
Peace talks collapsed early this morning after the minority Turkish Cypriots rejected the plan. Following the collapse of the talks, the United Nations announced it would not resume peace-brokering efforts before planned accession to the EU in May 2004.
The European Commission expressed regret at the breakdown of the talks but said it was not too late for the two sides to strike a deal.
Commission spokesman Mr Jean-Christophe Filori said the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government would now sign the accession treaty on behalf of the whole island at a planned ceremony in Athens on April 16th.
"This in no way prevents, if there is any subsequent agreement, the possibility of there being adaptations so that we can have the whole island inside the EU," Mr Filori said. But he had a bleak message for another candidate country, Turkey, which has yet to open accession talks due to continued concerns over its human rights record.
The Turks won a pledge from the EU last December that entry talks would begin without delay if a December 2004 summit agreed Ankara had met the political and economic criteria.
"If by the time of the report at the end of 2004 there is still no settlement on Cyprus, we will be facing this rather weird situation where a candidate country knocking at the door does not recognise one of our own member states," Mr Filori said.
"It appears difficult in this situation to envisage the start of accession negotiations with Turkey," he said.
Mr Filori also said the EU would consider part of its territory under illegal occupation after Cyprus's accession.