Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-10-23-Speech-3-039"
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"en.20021023.1.3-039"2
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"Mr President, I would like to begin by congratulating the Irish people, as well as the Danish Presidency, which has done a tremendously good job, and the Commission, which has been working on the issue for a long time.
There is of course a large number of problems associated with enlargement. The opportunities outweigh the problems, however, although obviously we do need to solve the problems. They should not be allowed to overshadow the opportunities. It is a question of our children and children’s children. It is a question of creating a Europe of peace and democracy for our children and children’s children. It is a question of a better environment. Sweden shares a border with many of these countries: we have the Baltic in common, for example. If we wish to tackle the problems of the Baltic region for the future, we can simply do it together.
It is also a question of workers' rights in countries bordering on ours, so that these countries cannot practise social dumping, and so that they have fairer conditions and stronger trade unions. All of this is our responsibility.
The President said that we need to have information campaigns. Of course we do, but this is first and foremost a political responsibility. Now is the time for us, the politicians, to get out of the conference room and hold a dialogue with the people in our Member States, with a view to convincing them of the importance of enlargement.
I would like to see a change in agricultural policy. We need a change in structural policy, but this must not be made a condition for enlargement. It is not the candidate countries’ responsibility, but our responsibility – the responsibility of all of us – to make a change in agricultural and structural policy.
A brief word about Kaliningrad. I hope that a solution can be found, particularly so that the people are able to move freely over the borders. We should not forget another aspect, which is that there is a risk of the gulf between Kaliningrad and Lithuania widening when Lithuania undergoes improved development as a Member State. This could potentially lead to tensions in the border regions. It is important, therefore, to make efforts in the social and economic fields for the people in the Kaliningrad area, too."@en1
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