Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-10-09-Speech-3-014"
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"en.20021009.4.3-014"2
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"Mr President, the Socialist Group supports the Commission's proposals which have been outlined today. Today is an historic occasion. In many ways it marks another stage down the road begun by Willy Brandt when he was mayor of Berlin.
As a former chairman of the Lithuanian JPC, I must raise the issue of Kaliningrad. I would urge that we find a solution which is deliverable for the Lithuanians and does not drive them into the 'no' camp.
Today is not the end of a process. Today is, hopefully, the beginning of the end of a process. We must scrutinise the path forward very closely. We must remember that no other enlargement has been as well-prepared as this one has, but we must seize this moment in history to make progress. I would like to call upon the inspiration of the late, great Elvis Presley at this moment – it is now or never, tomorrow is too late.
Before dwelling on the historic nature of today, I would like to acknowledge that it has only been possible to get where we are thanks to the determination of the Commission. When President Prodi launched the new fast-track method of negotiation, it radically changed the enlargement negotiations. I would also like to pay tribute to Commissioner Verheugen, who has pursued his brief with great determination and with a unique ability to master the detail while holding on to the big picture. He has also been a model of transparency and openness.
Enlargement is first and foremost a security issue. It is about admitting countries to a political and economic system which has brought peace, stability and prosperity to countries which spent much of modern history trying to destroy each other. In our discussions about the details, we must not lose sight of that fact. We have it in our power to reunite Europe and to create a genuinely Europe-wide Union dedicated to building stability and prosperity, not only for its own citizens, but also beyond its borders.
Inevitably, as enlargement approaches reality, the voices of doubters are beginning to be heard. Some say enlargement is too costly. To those I would point out that in the period of 2000 to 2006, we will spend one thousandth of one percent of the EU's GDP on the candidate countries. We will spend ten percent of what Germany has spent on its reunification. What we spend is a fraction of the cost of defending Western Europe during the Cold War.
The real question is – what is the cost if we do not enlarge the European Union? What will it cost in terms of the social, political and economic dislocation which will inevitably follow? Some say they are in favour of enlargement but not yet. They say we must wait for the reform of this or that policy. But politics is not like that. We do not sit around waiting for perfection. Enlargement is a dynamic process which itself will drive forward the process of reform within the EU. Enlargement is actually the solution to the problems which concern our voters – the concerns about crime and drugs, about the environment, about jobs and a better future for our children. We have a window of opportunity to enlarge. If we miss this moment, it will be lost for a generation and the cause of reform will be lost with it. Enlargement and reform go side-by-side.
I do not wish to underestimate the very serious issues that must be addressed. The core of the EU is the Single Market and there can be no weakening of it. There can be no question of admitting countries that cannot or will not enforce the
in this area, particularly in relation to state aids, competition policy and respect for intellectual property. There can be no question of admitting countries whose judicial system is corrupt or inept, or whose administrative capacity is not up to the task ahead. There can be no question of admitting countries unable or unwilling to take effective action to combat crime or the traffic of people and drugs. That is why I welcome the safeguards that the Commission has announced. I welcome in particular the economic safeguards in relation to the internal market which we have never had before, and also the commitment to have a further progress report six months before the date of accession. If there are problems then, we and the Council must have the courage of our convictions to act effectively in those circumstances.
There are, of course, serious issues to be addressed in relation to agriculture. Firstly, there have been profound delays in the implementation of SAPARD. Money must be spent before accession to strengthen structures in the rural areas and to avoid a rural exodus and mass unemployment. The central eastern-European countries will have problems co-financing SAPARD because they will have to incorporate budget resources which they had set aside for 2000-2001 into their budgets for 2002-2003. Therefore, the Commission must take appropriate measures to ensure that SAPARD funds are not lost because of late implementation.
The agricultural sector and the interests of the rural population are important to both the EU and the candidate countries. That is why we need a balanced solution to financing agriculture which does not offload the costs onto the weakest. Therefore, we strongly support the proposals Commissioner Fischler made in January because they are fully compatible with the Berlin Agreements and the roadmap for enlargement.
In discussing further reform in the CAP, we must ensure that the accession countries are involved in an advisory capacity as soon as possible. We must have reform before Agenda 2000 runs out in 2006. Reforms, however, cannot be a further hurdle to concluding accession negotiations, just as enlargement should not hold up the reform of the CAP."@en1
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