Madam President, Madam President-in-Office, Mr President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen. Because of the referendum in Ireland, the summit in Gothenburg will be even more important than we thought it would. As the Group of the , we think that, because of the present uncertainties, because of the confusion, because the central European countries are worried about their membership, the message to come out of Gothenburg must be that the central European countries are welcome in the European Union and that the enlargement of the European Union is now our top priority. And we must say as much, loud and clear, to the people of central Europe. (Applause) Our group has long favoured the first new countries' being able to take part in the next European elections in 2004, and rightly so. We must send out this message. We must also be flexible. We are currently debating the Structural Funds. Some people want to keep everything they had in the past. Others want to do away with the Structural Funds altogether. The Group believes that those most in need deserve our solidarity, which is why we shall continue to need the Structural Funds in the future and why they must focus on the countries in the future European Union which are worst off. Solidarity should not just be a slogan; it should be manifested in the form of specific deeds. Yesterday I had a most impressive conversation, together with numerous colleagues from my group, with Bishop Alfons Nossol from Oppeln, formerly in Silesia and now part of Poland. A minority of 300 000 people live there. Since the demise of Communism in Poland, this minority has been able to worship in both their own and the Polish language. These people in Poland, like the Hungarians in Slovakia or Romania, are looking towards Europe, hoping that we will not slam the door to our community of values in the European Union in their face and that we shall say: you are welcome, provided that you have set up the conditions needed by our community of values. (Applause) We also need to be flexible when it comes to freedom of movement, so that we do not create structures which are offensive to the central European countries. Naturally, we need solutions that serve the interests of the European Union, but they must also be in the interests of the candidate countries. I suggest that we make an effort to guarantee the flexibility needed here. Now to Ireland. I think we should guard against meting out swift advice to Ireland. It is up to the Irish government now to show the way forward. In particular, I urge the larger Member States of the European Union, which have often erred in the past by thinking they could dictate to the small Member States, to hold back to start with and at least let Ireland respond. Then we shall see what needs to be done. (Applause) Madam President-in-Office, you said – and it was music to my ears – that the Swedish presidency is now in favour of a convention. We have come a long way together. But please fight for it, especially if you fail to muster complete support. Of course, the decisions will be taken under the Belgian presidency. But if you are in favour of openness and transparency and two or three governments voice their opposition, name them openly so that they are forced to justify their opposition. (Applause) The American president, George Bush, will be in Gothenburg. Our group values partnership and friendship with America. We greet the American president and welcome him to Europe. But having numerous common interests does not mean that we do not have differing views on several counts. I urge you, Madam President-in-Office, and of course you too, Mr President of the Commission, to state in a measured but decisive manner that we Europeans want the Kyoto protocol and the reduction of emissions to be a success. We urge you to represent this position clearly. (Noise, heckling) But I also say – one fellow member is famous for his heckling and I accept it gladly – that we do of course expect solidarity between Europeans and I am proud of the fact that it is our group, the governments which belong to us, which will be clearly expressing European solidarity in Gothenburg tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. (Applause) Were it any other way, you would hear our voice. But, with your leave, Madam President, one last word. The American president is right on one count when it comes to reducing emissions. If nuclear energy is safe, it cannot be excluded from a reasonable energy mix. That is why he is right on this count. We do not think that nuclear energy, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, should be universally disparaged on ideological grounds, unlike numerous Socialist and other members. (Applause) Allow me to close by saying that it is developments in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia which concern us most at present. Madam President-in-Office, I urge you to continue your efforts, as you have in the past with Mr Solana and Mr Patten, to bring about a peaceful solution. We cannot afford to fail here, and the fact that today's visit by the president of Macedonia, of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has been called off should set the alarm bells ringing here. I urge you to continue in your efforts to bring about peace, because if we are successful here, it will be a success for the European Union as a whole and a contribution towards a peaceful, free Europe. Please help to bring it about. (Applause)

Political group: PPE-DE