Its relationship with the European Union is developing rapidly and in exciting ways. We are only weeks from the opening of negotiations which will lead to your becoming a member. I want to discuss the common concerns and aspirations which have driven the development of the European Union. Because they will also drive and shape enlargement. In particular, I want to talk about the common value we call social policy.
Social policy is central to the concerns of people, and to boosting economic performance.
Let me be clear about something else. Social policy is not an affordable luxury in the Union. It is central to the economic success of the Union to date. It is central to its continued economic progress and its enlargement. That is how important social policy is, and this is what the Members of the Union have embraced as an essential condition and a fundamental benefit of membership.