Athens, 17/04/2003 (Agence Europe) - During the final press conference on Wednesday, following the ceremony marking the signing of the Accession Treaty with ten new Member States (see EUROPE yesterday pp 3 and 6), the President of the European Council, Costas Simitis and the Heads of Government and State from the ten accession countries all affirmed the historic character of the event. Mr Simitis declared that, "it is historic because we are welcoming the ten new members, while at the same time creating the basis for a new Europe, a stronger Europe". He also said that the candidate countries had made enormous efforts to achieve this "great dream" and join the security, stability and prosperity area, which stretches into the future over the European continent. But the Greek Prime Minister warned that efforts did not finish there as on 1 May 2004 (and even beyond), future new Member States will have to continue the transposition and implementation of the Community Acquis in order to be entirely ready for accession day. The Fifteen will have to advance (together with the candidate countries) their internal reforms and the elaboration of a Constitutional Treaty, "as a Europe of 25 obviously cannot function like it does for 15". The EU will also have to develop more integrated policies (in the area of foreign policy, security and defence but also in other domains like regional policy and future relations with neighbours), not to mention accession negotiations with Bulgaria and Romania with 2007 as the deadline for the next enlargement, stressed Mr Simitis. He insisted that this new Union has to be a Union in which effectiveness, cohesion and democracy will be the new watchwords.
Leaders of the ten candidate countries (all together for the press conference, accompanied by Mr Simitis, the President of the Commission Romano Prodi and Commissioner Günter Verheugen) were unanimous in their desire to join the "strong" European Union, which is more capable of playing a decisive role on the international scene. They also announced their intention to fully participate in European integration and development as well as the deepening of the enlarged EU. Peter Medgyessy, the Hungarian President stated that, "Hungary is interested in taking part in a strong and performance led Europe and we are going to do everything in our power to make re-unification profound and complete so that Europe wins on the world playing field. Vaclav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic said that his country was perfectly aware that his country had new responsibilities and that they were ready to assume the new responsibilities and become a loyal Member State. Many stressed the importance of maintaining cultural diversity and national identities, and to respect the principle of equality between "large" and "small" Member States. "Latvia is pleased to be joining a Union in which each Member State is sovereign and has equal rights, whatever its size", Latvia' s President Vike-Freiberga said. "Accession creates new opportunities for us but will also allow our identity to be safeguarded, and our national culture, which is our objective at the end of the day", Estonia's President Arnold Rüütel said.
President of the European Commission Romano Prodi thanked Commissioner Verheugen for his "personal commitment" to ensure enlargement is a success, "which was the most important and ambitious objective of the Commission". Now that the Accession Treaty has been signed, the Commission will turn its eyes towards the two other candidates negotiating their EU membership (Bulgaria and Romania), and to Turkey, and will work to put an end to the "latest tragedy in Europe, the Balkans", Mr Prodi said. The countries of South East Europe have an undeniable European vocation and the prospect of joining the EU one day, he affirmed, going on to say: "We shall cover the road together". Relations with the future neighbouring countries that either do not want or that cannot become members are also a "major challenge" for the enlarged EU, but the Commission will work in favour of relations that allow "everything to be shared with these countries, except our institutions". Günter Verheugen, who was visibly happy with the way several years of hard work have ended, felt that it was the "best prepared enlargement in the history of the Union". Now, the EU must accomplish the necessary institutional reforms, "reforms that cannot find their cause in enlargement as they are at any rate indispensable, but reforms that enlargement make more urgent", Mr Verheugen insisted. He said he was confident that the new members would support consolidation of European integration. The date 1 May 2004 for enforcement of the Accession Treaty will no doubt be kept, Mr Verheugen said, "as I see no problem with ratification in the current Member States", or in the referendums in the candidate countries (for which the Commissioner expects results close to those obtained in Slovenia (90%) - and Hungary (84%). As for Bulgaria and Romania, the objective of the Commission is to complete membership negotiations with these countries before expiry of its mandate, i.e. before 1 November 2004. This is possible, "on condition that the two countries make a considerable effort", Mr Verheugen said.