Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-05-16-Speech-2-243"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2006-05-16"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Progress report on the accession of Bulgaria and Romania (debate)2
dcterms:Language	"sv"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20060516.35.2-243"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2006-05-16-Speech-2-2442
lpv:speaker	lp:Anna Ibrisagic2
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; EMPL (2004-07-22--2007-01-14)3 unknown; Moderata Samlingspartiet (2004-07-20--2009-07-13)3 member; Delegation to the EU-Bulgaria Joint Parliamentary Committee (2004-09-15--2006-12-31)3 member; SEDE (2004-07-21--2007-01-14)3 substitute; Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee (2004-09-15--2009-07-13)3 member; AFET (2004-07-21--2007-01-14)3 member; EPP-ED (2004-07-20--2009-07-13)3
lpv:translated text	"Romania and Bulgaria have been promised EU membership as from 1 January 2007. They have signed the accession agreement, and we have sent signals to Romania and Bulgaria to the effect that they are doing a good job and that, if they continue to work hard, they will also become members in accordance with the timetable. Meanwhile, there have been a number of developments in Europe that have nothing to do with Romania and Bulgaria but that have strongly influenced public opinion, including on the issue of these two countries’ membership. Romania and Bulgaria were promised membership before scepticism about continued enlargement began to spread, before a number of European countries voted against the draft EU Constitution and before the fear of social tourism began to spread in the old Europe. The fact that these fears are unjustified and the fact that current political leaders did not manage to explain this and give people a sense of optimism are clear signs that there is a serious lack of leadership in today’s Europe. That is not, however, something for which Romania and Bulgaria should pay the price. I am both surprised and perturbed about the fact that no one in this House today has pointed out that enlargement is really about security. The majority of countries in the Balkans are in the throes of forming nation states, which is a difficult and delicate process that could come to grief at any time and that has to be handled with both sensitivity and knowledge. In such a situation, it would not be sensible to postpone Romania’s and Bulgaria’s entry into the EU, particularly because it would most certainly divert both attention and energy from much more complicated issues in the region such as the status of Kosovo, the referendum in Montenegro and the status of that country and the constitutional changes under way right now in Bosnia. Romania and Bulgaria have done a good job. Hard work is needed, and both countries will work hard in the future too, just as other countries did during their first period as EU Member States. For the sake of security in Europe, it would, however, be best if the EU were to fulfil its commitments to Romania and Bulgaria and otherwise focus its efforts on the other, much more sensitive issues that have to be solved in the Balkan region in the course of the year."@en1

Named graphs describing this resource:

The resource appears as object in 2 triples

Context graph