Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-10-09-Speech-3-019"
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"en.20021009.4.3-019"2
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"Mr President, I would like to say briefly to Mr Cohn-Bendit that passion is a wonderful thing but if passion is not based on pragmatism and common sense, it is wasted. If Mr Cohn-Bendit has passion in abundance at the moment, perhaps he would direct some of it to his Green colleagues from my country who are trying to convince the electorate that they should vote against the Treaty of Nice. If we want to be passionate, then let our passion be based on facts. The fact is that if the ten applicant countries proposed by the Commission – for whose efforts I am grateful and I thank Commissioners Prodi and Verheugen in particular – are to be part of the enlarged Europe which Mr Cohn-Bendit is dreaming of, then please tell the people of my country, on behalf of the Green Party of Europe, that they should vote 'yes' to the Treaty of Nice. We would welcome that.
There is little point in being all things to all people at all times. Let us base our advice to the electorate on facts. It is wrong of Green Party Members to say to the people of my country that the Amsterdam Treaty provides for the enlargement process which we are talking about. It does not provide for the accession of ten new Member States. If we must have ten new Member States, as we want to, and then perhaps Romania and Bulgaria as soon as possible and then Turkey in due course, then let us put the truth to the people that the Treaty of Nice must be accepted if that is to happen.
I would like to congratulate the Commission on the tremendous work that it has done in dealing with all the applicant countries and the fact that it is now in a position to recommend ten countries for accession. I want to compliment Commissioner Verheugen for what he said in relation to Turkey. It is important that this Parliament recognises that over the last year and a half, tremendous progress has been made in Turkey and this should not be forgotten. Turkey's position today should not be seen as a rejection by the European Union in any shape or form.
As far as Cyprus is concerned, I am glad that Cyprus has made considerable progress and that it has been recommended to us. I would also like to endorse what has been proposed to us by the Commission in relation to the political problem in Turkey and Cyprus, with the northern part of Cyprus occupied by Turkey. We should use all our influence to ensure that a role for the United Nations is accepted in this respect because there is no other way.
Finally, I would like to say to this Parliament, to my colleagues and friends, that despite the best efforts of those in this House who have been trying to confuse the issue of the Treaty of Nice in relation to my country, the Irish people totally support enlargement. We will have a majority by the end of next week for the Treaty of Nice."@en1
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