The job of reconciliation and good neighbourliness begun here in Berlin by Willy Brandt can now be completed. Welcoming new member states to the EU is politically necessary, economically important, and a moral imperative. This will bring us close to achieving our ambition of a stable and democratic continent. Enlargement is in everyone's interests and should therefore be a success. At the same time many people have questions that we want to answer.
All European citizens benefit from a policy of active co-operation.
The process and perspective of Enlargement are already creating jobs, both in the EU and the applicant countries. Transitional arrangements may be needed. Putting in place trans-European transport and communication links and aligning environmental protection and social standards will improve the quality of life for all Europeans. Acting together in the fight against crime achieves more than acting alone. The Treaty of Nice enables enlargement to take place because it increases the political capacity of the EU to act in a more effective way.