Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-11-29-Speech-3-098"
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"en.20061129.14.3-098"2
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"It gives me the greatest pleasure, on behalf of the ALDE Group, to welcome both countries into the European Union.
Mr Lambsdorff has allowed me the opportunity of thanking Mr Van Orden for his dedicated and serious work, which has helped Bulgaria immensely to accede to the Union on this date.
Bulgaria’s accession process has not always been a smooth one. Mr Lambsdorff has empowered me to suggest that this is not entirely Bulgaria’s fault. Perhaps the Council and the Commission might care to introduce some reforms for future accessions. He recommends that the reform of the justice system should be observed more vigorously from the beginning of the accession process. The same recommendation applies to the fight against corruption. These are the only mechanisms we can use to guarantee effectiveness and transparency in such difficult areas before future candidates join the Union.
Of course, it is now important for Bulgaria to concentrate on the period after accession. Bulgaria must prove that she is able to implement the requirements the Commission has issued in its progress report in order to avoid any activation of safeguard clauses. It is clear, however, that Bulgaria is a pro-European country, as the recent elections proved, and it is now up to Bulgaria’s decision-makers to continue their efforts and to follow their words with concrete and credible actions.
I now turn to Romania, a country whose people have long been close to my mind and to my heart. What a pleasure it has been to be of small assistance to Romania in her move towards this wonderful accession moment. I congratulate most warmly my fellow rapporteur, and now
rapporteur, on his final report and on his previous work. It has also been a pleasure to work with him. This is a time of real celebration for all Romanians. Entry into the Union should trigger inward investment, which Romania badly needs. It will enhance workers’ rights and, over time, bring prosperity within the grasp of all Romania’s people: a true time of celebration.
It is a pleasure to have in the visitors’ gallery today Theodora Bertzi, the Minister for Adoptions, Alina Mandroiu, from the High-Level Group for Romanian Children, and Minister Bogdan Panait, who is in charge of child protection. I urge colleagues concerned about child protection and adoptions in Romania to go straight upstairs and speak to these experts. They have all the files, all the information, and you will be agreeably surprised. You will find that child health and welfare has progressed dramatically since the early 1990s. Indeed, as the Prime Minister said in his letter, Romania has vigorously addressed this issue.
As the noted children’s author J.K. Rowling said recently, ‘When you look at how far Romania has come, it is hard not to concede that a minor miracle has been achieved’. Romania is a model for other countries hoping to reform. Romania was the state that acknowledged that there was a problem and set out to do something about it.
Colleagues, vote for all of Mr Moscovici’s report, but reject the amendments. In the Foreign Affairs Committee we rejected not only those amendments but the offending clauses in the opinions of the Women’s Rights and Civil Liberties Committees as well. Romania has changed. These amendments reflect the old days and not the reality."@en1
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