Mr President, the Commissioner has very helpfully outlined the major challenges that enlargement will bring – challenges such as the problems of Kaliningrad, of the Beneš Decrees, of Cyprus; and he has talked a lot about the cost of enlargement. I am, however, very pleased that the President-in-Office drew attention to the cost of non-enlargement, which is by far the greater. It may well be true, as the President-in-Office said, that for us these countries will have waited a 'mere' 15 years to join the Union. To them, however, those 15 years will seem more than half as long again as the decade that Spain waited to come into our Union. I believe it is incumbent upon us to do all we can to speed up the process of enlargement. The first step in that process is in the hands of the Presidency this week as the Council meets in Barcelona. President, you have emphasised that we have a responsibility for reuniting our divided continent. We must welcome those who wish to join us as soon as they are ready. But it is not primarily a budgetary question: there are tremendous economic benefits to be gained, and that is where Barcelona comes in; for we need to have the courage to undertake ourselves the difficult economic reforms which we rightly expect of the applicant states. This means, in Barcelona, agreeing important economic reforms, finding the way towards reform of the common agricultural policy, and moving towards reforms of our institutions. The Heads of State and Government must not fudge the opportunity of real economic reform in Barcelona. We must open up the markets for gas and electricity, both wholesale and domestic, by 2005 at the latest. We must recommit ourselves to the package of legislative measures in the financial services action plan, unblocking discussions in the Council. We must also see progress on public procurement and a European patent. If we are to fulfil our objective of staying within the financial perspectives, enlargement must also mean reform of the common agricultural policy. The over-production and waste which characterise the CAP and the worrying consequences for public health of intensive farming methods must be dealt with as we move towards a modern rural development policy, breaking the link with production and creating an environmentally sustainable policy providing aid to our farmers. The prospect of enlargement also requires us to make a success of the Convention. Our institutions and our decision-making procedures are like a Trabant, when what we need is a Mercedes. We need to design a constitutional settlement for the Union of the 21st century which goes beyond Nice, which is based on common rights and values, which addresses the legitimate concerns of our citizens, combining accountability, democracy and efficiency. Here, above all, what is called for is a responsible approach from our Member States. It is not helpful for financial discipline if the Italian Finance Minister questions the finances of enlargement. It is damaging, when a Community of 25 or 27 will need a strong Executive in the Commission, if the Head of Government of one of our large Member States accuses the Commission of a bias against his country, of wanting to smash the culture of one of his industrial producers, and of singling out his country. If we are to insist on a responsible approach from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, then we need a more responsible approach ourselves. I hope that as we move towards the Danish Presidency later this year and the historic decisions on enlargement, we will see a responsible, united and purposeful Western Europe welcoming these new democracies into the democratic fold. (Applause)

Political group: ELDR