Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-03-10-Speech-3-055"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2004-03-10"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Enlargement / Candidate countries2
dcterms:Language	"nl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20040310.2.3-055"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2004-03-10-Speech-3-0562
lpv:speaker	lp:Joost Lagendijk2
lpv:spokenAs	unknown; GroenLinks (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 chair; Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 member; G/EFA (2002-01-08--2004-07-19)3 member; Conference of Delegation Chairs (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 substitute; ECON (2002-02-26--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation for relations with the countries of south-east Europe (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, in my contribution, I should like to focus on Romania, and I have three reasons for doing so. The first is that the present discussion on Romania is, in my view, the best possible barometer of the current enlargement round. Indeed, what is evident from this discussion is that the main problems in the new Member States are not related to the fisheries chapter or the transport chapter, important and interesting though these may be. The most persistent problems in the new Member States have to do with the functioning of the constitutional state, the independence of the judiciary and freedom of expression of opinion. This brings me to my second reason, provided that other Members allow me to carry on, Mr President, for noise levels are rather high at the moment. The discussion on Romania is also of major importance for future enlargement rounds including Turkey and the Balkans, and for the reason that we cannot very well insist in Ankara and Zagreb on an improvement of human rights or the rights of minorities if, at the same time, we allow the situation in Bucharest to remain at a standstill and, in fact, to change for the worse in a number of respects. So to my third point, which is that the situation in Romania itself remains problematic. To this day, the reform of the constitutional state is in its infancy. To this day, it is impossible for critical journalists to do their jobs. To this day, corruption is an enormous problem right up to the highest political level. In her report, Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne is right to take a critical view of this. To the Group of the Party of European Socialists, I would say that advocates of enlargement, even more than its opponents, have a duty to be critical, and they must also remain so. It is encouraging to see, Mr President, that precisely this critical stance is bearing fruit. Over the past few days, the Romanian Government has announced new reforms and accelerated the old ones. The Justice Minister has had to step down because he is held responsible for the stagnation. I would urge the Romanian Government to carry on with the reforms, for if it does not, it may as well forget about joining in 2007. My appeal to NGOs and journalists is to carry on with their critical work and keep us informed. Mr President, the European Union is good at influencing countries by dangling a carrot in front of them, but sometimes an educational rap on the knuckles does wonders too."@en1

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