Mr President, Madam President-in-Office of the Council, President of the Commission, I hope that Mrs Halonen will have time, before the Summit, to read our motion for a resolution on this Summit, together with the report on the Intergovernmental Conference which we approved in November. I am saying this because I missed some of her thoughts on certain points which are absolutely vital in our opinion. We are certainly now facing an historic challenge in terms of advancing and consolidating the Union and reorganising it in order to cope with enlargement. My colleague, Mr Hänsch, will talk specifically about enlargement in detail. I will restrict myself to the over-enlargement caused by our relationship with Turkey. I can say that the Socialist Group is unanimous on this. We do believe it is advisable to adopt a positive position with regard to Turkey. However, firstly, Turkey must show willing. It cannot just expect and it is therefore vital how it acts in the Öçalan case. Secondly, a plan of action must be prepared. Returning to the very balanced position of this House on the Intergovernmental Conference, the Council must not adopt a low-key approach to this issue. Enlargement is a major political ambition and we have to know how to respond to this. We cannot simply say that there are some reforms to be made on a few remaining points or that this is an issue to be resolved only in terms of costs. We have to be capable of providing the major political impetus needed for this process. I also place great importance on something which has hardly been mentioned. We are carrying out a parallel exercise of constitutionalising the Treaties, by preparing a Charter of Fundamental Rights, at the same time as planning the Intergovernmental Conference. We have an obligation to our fellow citizens – and note that the President-in-Office of the Council comes from a Nordic country which is always boasting about transparency – to achieve a transparent process in which this House is duly represented. I would like Mrs Halonen to reject the view expressed that the Council Presidency is opposed to full representation of the European Parliament, with two representatives, at the Intergovernmental Conference. We must also explain to our political forces, to our national MPs and to our people, why we are holding the IGC, why we want a Charter of Fundamental Rights, why we want enlargement and why we have the responsibility of ensuring that the Community operates as a community. On defence there is one point about which I am very pleased. The President-in-Office of the Council, who comes from a tradition of neutrality, has become an expert on security and defence. She is to be congratulated on this. Finally, I must refer to the absolutely fundamental issue of growth, stability and employment. This is an issue on which the line taken in Luxembourg, and then in Cardiff, Cologne and Helsinki, must be consolidated at the next Summit under the Portuguese Presidency. We realise that, to have a prosperous future in the Union, we must be capable of being more competitive and generating more economic growth, but with the emphasis on employment and social cohesion which are, and must be, our first priorities. These are the challenges which my group wants the Helsinki Summit to respond to in a positive manner.

Political group: PSE