NICE. France. Dec 11: Reforms passed at the marathon EU sum mlt here that ended in the predawn hours today cleared the way for the European Union's historic eastward expansion, reports AFP.

The move is destined to take a decade or more, change the shape and face of the continent, and finally heal the wounds of the long cold war.

In a wrenching four-and-a-half-day exercise in diplomacy, brow-beating and horse-trading -- the longest summit In the EU's 43-year history -- the heads of state and government came up with reforms that should make the expansion work without gridlock or paralysis.

The notion of EU enlargement goes back a decade, to the fall of the Berlin Wall, the breakup of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war that left the former Soviet bloc countries in an eco-

nomic and political vacuum.

The richer countries of western Europe and their poorer cousins to the east began to eye one another warily, with visions of mutual benefits forming.

Talks began with an eye toward bringing the poor cousins Into the fold.

Meanwhile. In 1995. Austria. Finland and Sweden joined the family of nations.

In March 1998. accession negotiations began with six eager applicants: Hungary, Poland. Estonia. the Czech Republic. Slovenia and Cyprus.

In February this year, negotiations began with six more - Romania. Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania. Bulgaria, and Malta.

And at the Helsinki EU summit in December 1999. Turkey was given its long-sought candidate status, but with the condition that accession negotiations not begin until Ankara meets EU

criteria on democracy, human rightsand the rule of law.

The accession negotiations for the other 12 have lx-en grinding on slowly with the European Commission, the EU'sexecutive.

Each candidate must meet strict economic, social. Judicial, education and Infrastructure requirements aimed at a wrinkle free transition Into the family.

These are called "chapters.-' There are 31 of them, and the candidate country draws up a position paper" on each. Indicating where it stands, how far it Is from meeting EU criteria and how much help It will require to make the grade.

The EU assigns each applicant a chief negotiator along with a support team of experts.

It's a long and bumpy process. Many of the candidate countries have been poor so long that entry into a rich club of nations risks being traumatic.

Last month the European Commission said it hoped to wrap up negotiations with the most advanced candidate states in 2002, making It possible for the first newcomers to accede by mld-2004.

Three among the front-runners -- Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic --Joined NATO In March 1999.

But when all 13 candidates Join, the EU's decision-making processes, designed in 1957 to work for the six founding members. would certainly bog down In paralysis, and that's what the reforms passed by this landmark summit wereabout.

It did not come easy. Each of the 15 had to give up something in the way o( voting power or sovereignly to make it work. It took long days and nights of tough, sometime bitter wrangling. But in the end they wrung out an accord.