Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-04-11-Speech-1-096"
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"en.20050411.15.1-096"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the last enlargement brought both geographical and demographic changes to the European Union, with the accession of ten new Member States and a population that now numbers 450 million. These are new and highly significant factors as regards strengthening the area of freedom, security and justice.
At the time, many people voiced fears that this opening up of the EU could result in the threat of organised crime or uncontrolled migration being ‘exported’. Today, however, it is apparent that enlargement has had no negative impact on the European Union’s internal security. In fact the opposite is true, as the accession of a new group of Member States has meant that we can cooperate more effectively in Europe.
Mutual trust is crucial in order to establish effective cooperation, and this is true for all aspects of the area of freedom, security and justice. This includes judicial cooperation in civil and penal matters, which is of enormous significance for the legal security of citizens. I would note that a lack of trust in the new Member States has been revealed in a number of instances, for example the unprecedented imposition of special transitional periods that apply before these Member States can become full members of the Schengen area. We are already seeing the first indications that the achievements made thus far by the new Member States have been recognised, for example in the Hague Programme adopted in November 2004. According to this Programme, Schengen assessments are due to start in the first half of 2006, and the deadline for entry into the Schengen area is 2007. The success of this process is dependent upon all the necessary requirements being met, however. This applies above all to the European Commission, which is responsible for setting up and coordinating the new second-generation Schengen Information System. The latter is to be handed over in March 2007, and I believe it is crucial that we make every effort to ensure that this date is met.
On top of this, it will be impossible to establish cooperation on internal security, viewed in the wider context of enlargement, if decisions continue to be taken in small and opaque intergovernmental structures, such as the G5 group, comprising the UK, France, Spain, Italy and Germany. This will particularly hold true if the reason given for not allowing the new Member States to join these groups is that so-called different operational cultures prevail in these countries, and that they cannot therefore participate in such bodies. An approach of this kind will do nothing to foster trust and good cooperation.
The final point relating to enlargement I should like to highlight is an important one, namely that action plans and strategies must be drawn up concerning the EU’s relations with the third countries along its lengthening eastern external border, because this is new territory as regards justice and home affairs."@en1
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