11.   The EU refuses to set firm entry dates just to ensure that candidates keep up their reform efforts to get in shape for membership.

12.   The EU refuses to set firm entry dates to ensure candidates keep up their reform efforts to get in shape for EU membership.

13.   The EU foreign ministers failed to overcome disagreements about European Union expansion Monday, yet still tried to sound welcoming to newcomers without setting specific entry dates.

14.   The EU foreign ministers failed to overcome disagreements about European Union expansion Monday, yet tried to sound welcoming to newcomers even without setting specific entry dates for them.

15.   The EU foreign ministers failed to overcome disagreements Monday about European Union expansion, yet tried to welcome newcomers even without setting specific entry dates for them.

16.   The EU is negotiating with Cyprus, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Estonia but refuses to set an entry date.

17.   The EU refuses to set firm entry dates just to ensure candidates keep up their reform efforts to get in shape for membership.

18.   The fact that the union has declined to give them a specific entry date now has been a source of irritation in Warsaw and Budapest.

19.   The leaders carefully avoided giving any entry dates so as to keep candidates working apace on their economic and political reforms to meet EU membership requirements.

20.   They assured them their ambitious expansion plan remains on track but set no entry dates.