Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-06-12-Speech-3-195"

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"Madam President, now that enlargement is approaching, a lot of people are getting cold feet, and concern is growing in both the present EU and in the candidate countries. What we have all dreamed about and fought for over so many years – a unified Europe – is on the verge of being achieved, and there is nothing odd about the fact that the questions are accumulating. In the candidate countries where referendums are to be held, a lot of people are probably wondering what they are getting themselves into. Many questions are being raised within the EU about costs and about how the EU is going to be able to function. Extremist parties are exploiting enlargement in their policies and playing upon people’s fear of the unknown. Political leadership is therefore required more than ever. The leaders of the candidate countries must resolutely continue with the required reforms before the negotiations can be concluded. They have done an impressive job, and a number of questions still remain. It is a question of never giving up and of being honest. A number of domestic problems will still remain following membership, for there is a life after the accession date too. Those of us within the EU also have a big responsibility: to tell people about the huge importance of enlargement and about what is at stake. Who believed that enlargement would be cost-free? Clearly, enlargement has its price, but in the long term we are all winners. We must also prepare a reserve plan to cover the contingency of there being a ‘no’ vote in Ireland. I believe the European Parliament has accepted its responsibility. We have stubbornly pushed ahead with the enlargement process, set a definite date for this and carefully reviewed progress. In the report we are now adopting, it is crystal-clear that we support enlargement, at the same time as highlighting a number of problems. We too have a responsibility to convince people of this historic task. It is an historic opportunity to unite the whole continent. Together, we can solve common problems relating to environmental damage, crime, growth, security and the safeguarding of democracy and human values. A short time remains, and I am convinced that the Copenhagen Summit in December will be an historic occasion and lead to the EU’s biggest and most important enlargement so far. Enlargement is irrevocable and absolutely necessary. The alternative is chaos, uncertainty and a fatal division of Europe."@en1

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