Strasbourg, 12/03/2004 (Agence Europe) - The three reports on enlargement, widely debated on 10 March in plenary (see EUROPE of 11 March, pp.6/7) were, as we said earlier, approved on Thursday by the EP with a very large majority: 382 for, 17 against and 14 abstentions for the Brok report on the ten acceding countries; 374 to 10 wih 29 abstentions for the Nicholson report on Romania; and a massive (but not nominal) vote in favour of the Van Orden report on Bulgaria.
After the intervention by rapporteurs, the Council and the Commission, the political groups took the floor on Wednesday to express their general appreciation of the enlargement process fifty days before the great day. Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the EPP-ED Group, immediately gave his support to Commissioner Verheugen who criticised the current member countries for not having kept citizens sufficiently informed about enlargement. "I share your concern in this respect", he told Mr Verheugen. "We must explain to people that, by joining, the new countries take on board our principles and values also. Enlargement is therefore a reason for rejoicing", Mr Pöttering said. Accession by the new countries is not only a material or financial question, and their citizens must understand that it is also a question of values. "This is why I tell them: do not only ask what you can hope to receive from European coffers, but also what we can do together so that Europe becomes more democratic, more stable, stronger and more peaceful", Mr Pöttering exclaimed. Still addressing Commissioner Verheugen, Mr Pöttering also raised the matter of Turkey's prospects of membership (although the issue had practically not been raised during the debate on Wednesday). Mr Pöttering protested saying that they expect the Commission to base its opinion on Turkey's accession exclusively on the extent to which Turkey has complied with the Copenhagen criteria, and Mr Verheugen would do better to stop making "opportunistic political assessments" on Turkey's state of preparedness. British Labour member Gary Titley insisted that the governments of new members should not stop fighting corruption, "as corruption undermines economic progress". It is not by chance that Finland, the least corrupt country in the world (according to a recent international study), is also the country that can recently boast of the best economic results, Mr Titley noted, saying "the two things are closely linked". Mr Titley is fully in agreement with Mr Pöttering in insisting on the "values" that the new countries undertake to honour. Certain recent events (for example in Lithuania where a newspaper published articles and caricatures that were frankly racist and anti-Semitic) show that it is necessary to remain vigilant and to act immediately as soon as these values are in danger in the young democracies, Mr Titley insisted. He also criticised the campaigns launched by the popular press in a number of the current Member States (and especially his own, the United Kingdom) against the free movement of workers from the new countries. Fears thus aroused are largely exaggerated (as several studies show) and, he said, he hoped that very soon after 1 May the current Member States would begin to ease the restrictions on access to the labour market. The old and new Member States should work together to make economic reform move forward, in order to fight against international crime, in order to combat people smuggling and strengthen the role of the enlarged EU in the world. Together, Mr Titley said, they can strengthen Europe. If they are ready to do that then there is every reason to celebrate the 1st of May, he added. Pernille Frahm (GUE/NGL, Denmark) also regretted the fact that most current members have decided to take advantage of the transitional period (up to 7 years at most) which is granted to them to close their job markets after enlargement. It is a bad sign that they are sending to the new members, she said, fully sharing the analysis made by Mr Titley on the tabloid campaign. "I am tired of hearing these populist voices giving false information to citizens and deforming reality", she said. Ms Frahm also floated the idea of creating a monitoring tool allowing respect of democratic values and minority rights in the enlarged Europe to be observed (Austrian Social Democrat Hannes Swoboda asked that the next Commission should include the post of Commissioner for Minorities). Joost Langendijk (Greens/EFA, NL) said he agreed with the Nicholson report. The malfunctioning of the rule of law is one of the main problems in Romania but also elsewhere, he said. Corruption, dysfunction of justice and obstacles to freedom of the press persist in Romania, and, with the NGOs and the media, they must continue to put pressure on the authorities of Bucharest to make this change, he insists, considering that all recent changes (government reshuffle, speeded up reforms and certain proposals of legislation, etc.) prove that pressure does help to make things move forward. Philippe Morillon (EPP-ED, France) also welcomed the fact that the "strong message" launched by the Nicholson report had already been understood "at the highest level of the Romanian state".
Bastiaan Belder (EDD, NL) recalled the not so distant time when Central and Eastern Europe was said to be the "seriously ill" member of the European continent. "We hope enlargement will be a swift and effective remedy", he said. Cecilia Malmström (ELDR, Sweden) hoped the European Constitution would be adopted as soon as possible, before enlargement even. Speaking on behalf of the non-attached members, the Vlaams Blok member Philip Claeys was the only person to cast doubt upon the appropriateness of enlargement. The ten acceding countries are not ready to enter the EU and "many know it but few - like Jacques Delors - dare say so", he affirmed. Astrid Lulling (EEP-ED, Luxembourg) felt the fifteen current Member States should not "give too many lessons" to the new entrants, "as, even in our countries, many things are not right" and many legislative texts are not applied as they should be. Jo Leinen (PES, Germany) warned about the risk of making Romania the "bogeyman" of Europe. Calling for accession talks with this country to be suspended (as Rapporteur Emma Nicholson had initially done) would have given the "wrong sign". "Instead of calling for suspension, we should ask for the process to be intensified" with more aid for the Romanians so that they can resolve the outstanding problems as swiftly as possible, Mr Leinen said. In his view, "the right message to Romania should be: we are helping you, but it is up to you to do the work in your country". Catherine Lalumière (PES, Socialist) admitted she felt a certain unease about the "indulgence" shown by Mr Van Orden, Rapporteur on Bulgaria, and the "severity" of the report on Romania by Ms Nicholson, "although both countries have many things in common". The extreme attention that Ms Nicholson shows to certain sensitive and very important points, such as the adoption of children, has "led to a very harsh judgement" of Romania and even to certain "contradictions" in the report which, Ms Lalumière says, "lacks consistency". "Romania needs to be understood and criticised when it deserves to be. But it also needs to be guided and helped", the former Secretary General of the Council of Europe insisted.