Brussels, 26/01/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted (by 36 votes in favour, 3 against and 11 abstentions) the report by its chairman, Elmar Brok (CDU), on the enlargement strategy presented by the Commission last November (see EUROPE 9065). Generally, the EP shares ands supports the Commission's strategy, but nonetheless considers that, in order to understand and to be able to apply the criteria of EU absorption capacity (one of the Copenhagen criteria), it is essential to “define the nature of the European Union, including its geographic frontiers”. The Commission is therefore invited to prepare, by the end of this year, a report which explains and specifies the principles that are at the base of this concept (the EP will itself draft an own-initiative report on this subject). The EP also notes that the current blocking in the ratification of the European Constitution “prevents the Union from enhancing its absorption capacity”. It reminds the Council that, before taking any final decision on future accessions, it should ensure that there are adequate budgetary means available to finance the policies of the enlarged EU. The EP considers that a democratic and secular Turkey could play a “constructive role in promoting understanding between civilisations” but that, at the level of internal accession preparations, it must do more to eliminate all the legislative and practical obstacles to the exercise of fundamental rights and freedoms, mainly freedom of expression, religious freedom, cultural rights and rights of minorities in general. When it comes to the Balkan States (whose prospect of membership is explicitly confirmed), the EP gives greater importance to regional cooperation between these countries, including on tricky subjects such as ethnic and religious reconciliation, the free movement of persons, the fight against organised crime, the return of refugees and the creation of a regional free trade area. The Balkan countries must also do more to protect minorities and ensure the minorities' right to return to their place of origin, the EP says. The EP also calls for the possibility of negotiating with the future new members on strong, general and specific derogations to be maintained when it comes to the free movement of persons and workers. The report specifies, moreover, that candidate countries must demonstrate that they are able to protect the Union's external borders after having subscribed to the Schengen agreement. The EP also invites the Commission and Member States to develop a communication strategy in order to answer the “legitimate concerns” of European citizens towards EU enlargement.