We're well aware of the fact that we're at the beginning of a road which could be long-winding and stony but at least we've made a start. As usual much time was devoted to the upcoming enlargement of the Union to include 12 candidates from Central and Southern Europe. Germany and Austria fear an influx of cheap labour from the East. They have asked for a transition period for the free movement of people, after the enlargement. The European Commission has responded with a proposal, which gives the present members the right to close their borders for job seekers from the new member states for up to 7 years.
Some states claim that's much too long.
In Italy, the immigration stopped not when people became wealthy, but when people started to hope and if you have enlargement you start to hope and you don't emigrate anymore. The foreign ministers did not discuss a widely publicised plan from German Chancellor Gerhard Schr der's SPD-party, for a dramatic reform of the Union itself. The plan calls for the evolution of the executive European Commission into a strong European government. The policy-making Council of Ministers should become a Senate, as part of a more powerful European Parliament. Reforms of this magnitude are on the agenda of a special conference in 2004.