Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-03-10-Speech-3-049"
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"en.20040310.2.3-049"2
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". – Mr President, at the outset I would like to thank Mr Brok for his very frank and interesting report on the accession states. I would also like to thank Mr Van Orden for his insightful report on Bulgaria, and Baroness Nicholson for her thorough and honest report on Romania.
The hard work of the new Member States has been recognised, not only by the Commission in its regular and monitoring reports, but also by the excellent report drawn up by Mr Brok. The enlargement has been described as the best-prepared enlargement ever and I think that is a fair description of what has been done.
Already the newly acceding Member States are sitting around the Council table and in Parliament. They participated fully, actively and very constructively in the work of the European Convention and in the ensuing Intergovernmental Conference on the Constitutional Treaty. The new Member States are already making valuable input to all aspects of the Union’s business and from 1 May, they will have full voting rights as well and will contribute fully to the formation of the Union’s policies. I believe they will make a remarkable impact on the way we do our business.
Support among the new Member States for accession was demonstrated by the referenda which were held in nine of the ten countries throughout 2003. In addition, the process of ratification of the Treaty of Accession has seen the parliaments of many current Member States express strong support for enlargement. It is important to underline that enlargement is good not only for the newly acceding Member States but – as Mr Brok reminded us – it is also good for the present Member States. The Union as a whole stands to benefit.
Of course, the process of enlargement does not end on 1 May. As we have been reminded, Bulgaria and Romania are both advanced in negotiations. I listened carefully to Mr Van Orden's report on Bulgaria, having met with Meglena Kuneva last week to discuss the position. I was also very interested to hear Baroness Nicholson's very frank and honest report. Last December, the European Council set out a very clear timeframe for the conclusion of negotiations in 2004 with both countries, subject of course to their individual state of readiness, with a view to their accession in January 2007.
One of the key issues remaining to be agreed among Member States is the financial framework for accession of the two states. Since the Commission published its draft financial package in February, intensive negotiations have been underway to secure agreement among Member States, which the presidency is endeavouring to obtain by the March session of the General Affairs and External Relations Council. Reaching agreement on the financial package will permit the Union to carry forward the negotiations in the remaining finance-related chapters with both countries.
The Irish presidency is striving to advance progress in accession negotiations to the greatest degree possible. The presidency will ensure that negotiations with both countries are governed by the same principles that guided negotiations with the ten new Member States, notably that of their own individual merits. It is worth recalling that Bulgaria and Romania are part of an irreversible inclusive enlargement process. The pace of negotiations will continue to be determined by progress on the ground and we urge Bulgaria and Romania to ensure full implementation of commitments undertaken to date.
The Union will continue to monitor very closely the performance of both countries and has noted carefully the views of Parliament, as expressed in particular in the resolutions under consideration today.
In conclusion, this enlargement is one of the most remarkable achievements of the Union to date. On behalf of the presidency of the Council, I wish to thank Parliament, and you the Members of Parliament, for the very positive and constructive approach taken since the very beginning of the process. We believe that the Union and its citizens stand to benefit greatly from this exciting endeavour.
This is a remarkable moment, a defining moment in the history of Europe, and one in which we can all take considerable satisfaction.
It is a great honour for me to participate, on behalf of the Council, in your debate on enlargement today. For many years, I lectured students in University College, Dublin, on the European Union and sought to impress upon them how remarkable our Union is. We are now on the eve of another remarkable breakthrough.
Enlargement represents one of the most exciting and positive developments, not just in the history of the European Union but in European history as a whole. The ideal of a united, peaceful Europe is behind every effort at European integration over the past fifty years and this enlargement plays a significant part in making that peace a reality. In less than two months, the Union will welcome ten new Member States. For many years enlargement has been a mere aspiration; soon it will be realised. The European Union is rectifying a past wrong: the artificial division of Europe, which lasted for far too long after two appallingly disastrous world wars.
As presidency, Ireland will be privileged to welcome the new Member States on behalf of the Union on 1 May. We look forward greatly to this day, which will be celebrated around Europe and which we in Ireland will celebrate throughout the country as a special 'Day of Welcomes' for our new partners.
The new Member States have come through a long and difficult process to get where they are today. It is an exciting moment for them and for us. They have spent many years and made great efforts preparing for membership; the reform of their economic and political systems has been – to put it mildly – highly impressive. The countries of Central and Eastern Europe have very rapidly established stable democracies and functioning market systems.
The deep reforms carried out were monitored and reviewed closely by the Commission in its regular reports throughout the period of negotiations and most recently in its monitoring reports. The Commission’s comprehensive monitoring reports, published last November, illustrate clearly the huge amount of work done in the new Member States. I wish to congratulate the Commission. In particular I want to congratulate Commissioner Verheugen for his excellent work, extraordinary dedication and excellent management of the whole process.
More importantly, I want to compliment the new Member States for their efforts. However, while recognising that there have been many achievements to date, it is important not to become complacent. We encourage newly acceding states to continue their efforts for the final two months until accession: now is not a time to rest on their oars. We ask them to concentrate particularly on the areas identified by the Commission as requiring urgent attention and on the effective implementation and enforcement of measures already adopted. It goes without saying that the more work done now, the quicker the newly acceding Member States can benefit fully from membership. We are confident that any difficulties can and will be overcome.
The Treaty of Accession contains a number of safeguard clauses designed to protect the Union from unforeseen disturbances arising as a result of accession. In addition, other measures are available to the Commission to protect the internal market, if necessary. The smooth and effective integration of the new Member States is one of the highest priorities of the Irish presidency."@en1
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