Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-09-04-Speech-2-056"
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"en.20010904.3.2-056"2
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Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, European integration has undeniably made great progress over the last 50 years. The European project is highly attractive and has contributed to peace, stability, democracy and prosperity. The appeal is so great that the European Union is currently preparing to double its number of members. The current enlargement process is in itself nothing new for the Union. However, it is unparalleled in its magnitude, the variety of candidate countries and its political and historical dimension. In today’s debate, I should like to discuss three questions with you. Firstly, why enlarge, even if I believe that the answer is evident to this House; secondly, and this might be of more interest to you, what is the exact stage we have reached in the negotiations; and thirdly, how should we prepare for the future?
Why enlargement? You, Madam President and honourable Members, may know the answer to that question, but maybe some of what I am about to say will seep through the walls of this Hemisphere and enter the sphere of public opinion, which is still regularly exercised by this issue as, of course, it is fully entitled to be.
From now on, the future of Europe and enlargement of the Union are inextricably linked. Enlargement
the future of Europe. Pursuant to the objectives set out in Helsinki, the European Council of Nice took all the necessary steps to ensure that the Union will be in a position to welcome the new Member States. We could have easily rejected the compromise reached in Nice, but we opted not to do that so as not to send out the wrong message, namely that of an indecisive and reticent Europe, at the wrong time, that is to say on the eve of the reunification of Europe. Enlargement specifically embodies the magnanimous and open vision of the original European project. The decision in favour of enlargement, rightly deemed irrevocable at the European Council in Gothenburg, reflects the importance which the founders of Europe attached to international solidarity. Today’s Member States remain just as committed to this aim.
Enlarging the Union is an historical duty. Our peoples, who have been separated by history for far too long, must have a chance to be reunited. In addition to the genuine historical challenge, enlargement is also a political project. This project brings us, European leaders and elected Members, face to face with our responsibilities. We must henceforth make every effort to ensure a stable, secure and prosperous future for our fellow citizens in an enlarged Europe. Enlargement was, and still is, imperative in order to prevent destabilisation in the candidate countries, as well as the expressions of such destabilisation. The growing influx of refugees, the rise in crime, etc. spring to mind.
The unfortunate events in the Balkans in the last ten years have shown that a region cannot be stabilised without introducing and consolidating the enlargement or association process. In some of the countries of the former Yugoslavia, destabilisation has led to a deterioration in the rule of law and to the emergence of new hotbeds of international crime. The Union will have to strive hard to combat transnational criminal networks. In its efforts to stabilise the region, the Union introduced an association and stability process at the Zagreb Conference, which will naturally result in a European perspective.
Moreover, the positive results of future enlargement are already tangible. In Central and Eastern Europe, stable governments have been established which have adopted the common values, or the values which they have in common with us, such as democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and the protection of minorities. The remarkable improvement in the security of Europe and new prospects for economic development are the direct result of this. Enlargement, even if it is still to be translated into reality, is already making Europe more prosperous and enhancing its influence. In addition, we are also noticing – to put it in blunt, materialistic terms – that the amount of foreign direct investment – and I mean that in the candidate countries – is constantly increasing. The Union has become the largest trading partner of the thirteen candidate countries. The Member States therefore reap many benefits. The enlarged Europe will consist of 500 million citizens and, in economic terms, these are 500 million consumers. That is sufficient to allow the Union, also in economic terms, to better assert and defend its specific character in a world which is increasingly turning into a ‘village’, to borrow a term from a Canadian sociologist."@en1
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