Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-04-Speech-3-106"

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"en.20001004.7.3-106"2
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". Enlargement has been a recurring theme in our debate and our discussions today: each one of us, even those who have not spoken, will surely have been moved to reflect upon what Europe means for them, for their party and for the State that they represent. For me, enlargement is not a question of whether to endorse the entry of certain countries into Europe. Europe and the European Union are two different things: the European Union is a political entity conceived 50 years ago whereas Europe is a geographical, historical, political, cultural and social entity whose origins lie in the mists of time. To become part of the European Union one needs to apply, whereas one becomes part of Europe by birth, through a blood tie which unites all the people of this wonderful continent. Let us not forget this when we discuss enlargement. We are here – and this is right and proper – to assess economic, political and social criteria, but we must be careful not to empty of all significance an act which is in many respects inevitable and preordained. Take Poland, Hungary or the Czech Republic, to mention but a few of the 'candidate' countries: how could we deny that they share our history, our culture and our origins? This is not, of course, an invitation to shirk our responsibilities: we cannot forgo evaluating the transposal of the Community just as it is necessary for the Union to make good the commitments it has made to these States under the pre-accession strategy. We must not underestimate the need for healthy pragmatism in our handling of this extremely delicate transition stage, to avoid unnecessary clashes of principles. In general, we are all in favour of enlargement, but this will only fully come about when the candidate countries have carried out the necessary structural reforms, when the European Union's institutions and decision-making processes are capable of handling such a situation and, most importantly, when we at last realise that Europe is not a question of political status but, more than anything else, a story of roots and common history, blood, sweat and tears, dreams and visions, which unite us above and beyond political and economic issues."@en1
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