Enlargement: European Parliament gives the go ahead for accession, April 2003

The historic signing of an Accession Treaty between the European Union and ten candidate countries will go ahead at the Parthenon in Athens on 16 April 2003 after the European Parliament gave its assent to the enlargement of the EU at a plenary session on 9 April 2003.

MEPs voted overwhelmingly in support of the accession of all ten prospective Member States after a dispute between the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union was resolved at the last minute. The row centred on the financing of the enlargement and the Council's annexing of budgetary provisions, agreed at the Copenhagen European Council in December 2002, to the Treaty of Accession. The European Parliament claimed that this infringed on its rights to participate as an equal partner in determining the EU's budget and also voiced concerns that it discriminated against future Member States, by fixing their budget funds in contrast to funding for current Member States. The Parliament called on the Member States' governments to provide an extra €600 million and threatened to end an existing arrangement to agree multi-year budgetary frameworks. After negotiations failed the week before the vote Aristides Agathocles, the Permanent Representative of Greece to the EU (Greece currently holds the EU Presidency), finally got his colleagues to agree to a compromise on 8 April 2003 whereby Member States would provide an extra €540m for the 2004-2006 period. The funds will be devoted to 'internal policies' covering areas such as energy, transport and consumer protection.

The European Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control approved the compromise deal on 8 April 2003 and a resolution was therefore tabled by European Democrat Reimer Böge and socialist Joan Colòm I Naval (PES, E) at the plenary session on 9 April 2003 when it received the majority support of the Parliament. MEPs also approved the non-legislative resolution on the outcome of enlargement negotiations, prepared by Elmar Brok of the European People's Party, by 458 votes in favour, 68 against with 41 abstentions. In order to give the Parliament's assent to the accession, a legal prerequisite for the signing of the Treaty in Athens, MEPs also had to vote on the accession of each individual country. Latvia, Hungary and Slovenia received the strongest show of support with 522 votes each in favour whilst the Czech Republic had the least support with 489 votes. Some analysts believe that this was because some German MEPs deplore Prague's failure to repeal post-1945 laws expelling ethnic Germans and there have also been criticisms of some candidate countries openly pro-American stance on the Iraq crisis. The full results of the votes were as follows:

Ahead of the vote, European Commissioner for Enlargement, Günter Verheugen, called on the European Parliament to 'seize the opportunity' to give the green light to enlargement saying that there was 'no better symbol in Europe for the flowering of our different national identities and cultures in a Europe with strong shared roots'. Mr. Verheugen also sought to allay the fears expressed by some MEPs that the institutional reform needed for a successful enlargement will never happen by saying that such action was already well underway:

"This is the best prepared enlargement in the history of the Union. The prospect of enlargement gave direction to the reform process in central and Eastern Europe. Not everything will be perfect, there will be difficulties. But the Commission is convinced that the Community's policies and programmes will work for 25. The new members want a strong Community in their own interest. They will strengthen rather than weaken the Community idea".

However some MEPs continued to express their doubts about the accession process. Terence Wyn, a European socialist and head of the EP budgetary committee said it was with 'heavy heart' that he would abstain from the vote because the compromise on the budgetary issues was just 'a second best solution'. Christian Democrat Jean Louis Bourlanges also announced that he would not support enlargement because he felt that the institutional reform needed for enlargement would never happen.

Meanwhile all the large political parties active in the European Parliament welcomed the green light for enlargement. Cecilia Malmström, a European Liberal Democrat spokeswoman, said that the go ahead for enlargement would give a 'new impulse to Europe' allowing the continent to be united 'on the basis of dialogue, not war'. Hans-Gert Poettering, Chairman of the EPP-ED Group, who has been a MEP since 1979, said that what had been once no more than a dream had become reality. Mr. Poettering's feelings were echoed by those of Enrique Baron, President of the European Socialist group who said that with enlargement:

"Europe will undertake a huge step in reuniting the greater part of its surface area and population and will take onto itself a geographical, political and economic identity that will be without precedent in its history. In achieving reunification, we will be, in the words of Willy Brandt, 'putting together what belongs together'."

The actual expansion of the EU from fifteen to twenty-five Member States will take place on 1 May 2004. It will be the fifth round of enlargement in the EU's history and it should be concluded in 2007 when Romania and Bulgaria join. Turkey and the Balkans states are set to be the next countries knocking at the EU's door.

Links:
European Parliament:
	09.04.03:	Daily Notebook: Yes vote to enlargement
	Report on the conclusions of the negotiations on enlargement in Copenhagen
European Commission:
	09.04.03:	Press Release: Enlargement financial framework agreed [IP/03/526]
	09.04.03:	Speech: Let us not hesitate in seizing this opportunity [SPEECH/03/187]
	DG Enlargement
European Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament:
	09.04.03:	Press Release: Historic vote will give new impulse to Europe
Group of the European People's Party:
	09.04.03:	Press Release: "Our vision becomes reality" - European Parliament approves accession of ten new Member States to the EU
Party of European Socialists:
	09.04.03:	Press Release: EU enlargement: Barón gives warm welcome: proposes joint European declaration
European Sources Online: Financial Times:
	10.04.03:	EU costs deal avoids delay for new members
BBC News Online:
	09.04.03:	Key EU enlargement vote passed
European Sources Online: In Focus
	Enlargement: European Parliament and Council fail to agree on accession budget, April 2003
European Sources Online: Topic Guides
	Enlargement of the European Union

Helen Bower

Compiled: Thursday, 10 April 2003

MEPs voted overwhelmignly in favour of enalrgement at a plenary session on 9 April 2003, paving the way for the signing of the Accession Treaty in Athens on 16 April 2003.