Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-06-14-Speech-3-054"
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"en.20060614.2.3-054"2
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"Mr President, one of the subjects for the forthcoming Summit is the attempt to define the European Union’s exact absorption capacity with regards to potential new members.
Further enlargement of the European Union depends on this definition. It will be an important debate as this definition should not be the key which closes the future path to membership for the European Union’s most important neighbours. Fear of enlargement provides bad counsel. We should, of course, aim to define the geographical borders of the European Community, but we also should remember that we are bound by clearly defined criteria that are supposed to be met by potential candidates for European Union membership.
We have to remember that the Union is an attractive project which gives hope to millions of our neighbours: Belarusians and Ukrainians. Today, in Belarus, we support civil society. The current dictatorship, backed by Russia, makes it impossible to pursue any other policy. However, the Union should pay particular attention to defining clear European prospects for Ukraine. The behaviour of the Kiev Government when attempts were made to use energy as a tool for blackmail in December, its solidarity with Moldova, for example the close monitoring of the Transnistria region and its good relations with Georgia show that Ukraine can be a real stabilising force in the region and can guarantee the growth of democracy. It is an invaluable ally for the European Union.
I will now move on to the second issue related to the European Summit, which is the creation of a Fundamental Rights Agency. This is supposed to be an important institution whose work should support respect for human rights. However, I would like to express my concern about the fact that there are attempts to limit its scope to activities in the Member States of the European Union. The historic mission of the Union is that of supporting and promoting democratic ideas and governments. Worldwide, many threats still exist outside the European Union.
That is why the setting up of a Fundamental Rights Agency should be used to send a clear message to the global public that the Union possesses an effective instrument to support all those who fight for human rights and basic democratic freedoms. That is why I appeal for the activities of the Agency not to be limited to the territories of the 25 Member States. The Agency needs to act in other countries as well, most importantly those which are covered by the European Union neighbourhood policy or by partnership agreements, as is the case with Russia."@en1
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