Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-12-18-Speech-3-015"
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"en.20021218.3.3-015"2
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"Mr President, on behalf of the Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party, I would like to congratulate the President-in-Office on the successful conclusion in Copenhagen of an outstanding Danish presidency. It is rare in my experience for a presidency to receive such wide praise from all sides of this House. The improvement in relations between the Council and Parliament has been notable, and we owe much in this regard to the role of our former, much-esteemed colleague, Mr Haarder. The outcome of the summit is a tribute to the negotiating skills of Mr Fogh Rasmussen and the persistence both he and his team displayed. Their decision to focus single-mindedly on enlargement paid off handsomely: Europe can now reunite.
However, we must not be complacent. The full application of the Copenhagen criteria, both in the new countries and in the existing Member States, must remain a matter of concern. Moreover, there are referenda to be won in all the new countries – referenda in which each and every one of us can play an important part, if we so choose.
Copenhagen offers Bulgaria and Romania the prospect of greater pre-accession aid and the objective of membership in 2007. While these two countries will clearly be in the next wave of enlargement, we should continue to be guided by the principle that each candidate will be judged on its own merits.
Liberal Democrats would have preferred an earlier review of Turkey's readiness for accession. However, Turkey is clearly now on the path to membership and, if the Copenhagen criteria are met by the end of 2004, my group will hold the governments to their commitment to open membership negotiations.
An agreement on the United Nations plan to reunite Cyprus would have been the icing on the cake of the Copenhagen Council. Nonetheless, we remain optimistic that agreement can be reached so that a united Cyprus can sign the Accession Treaty in April 2004. We hope that Turkey will seize the opportunity to confirm its European vocation by putting pressure on Mr Denktash to reach a compromise.
However, celebrations over the historic decision to reunite Europe – and I welcome the very prominent role played by Liberals in the Council, Commission and Parliament, whether those on the benches in front of us apply that label to themselves or not – should not be allowed to overshadow another significant breakthrough at Copenhagen. That was the agreement with Turkey to allow the EU's Rapid Reaction Force to go ahead and have access to Nato's resources. Europe's security and defence ambitions can now be put to the test as the EU takes over Operation Amber Fox in Macedonia. This may pave the way for more ambitious missions in the future, including peace-enforcement operations in accordance with the UN Charter.
A wider Europe must be prepared to shoulder its responsibilities in the world, whether in the Middle East – I congratulate the Council on its firm declaration on that conflict – or elsewhere. We must be a bulwark for freedom and democracy and a force for justice. In building that strength, we owe much to Denmark."@en1
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