Nicholson of Winterbourne (ALDE). – Mr President, I am delighted that I do not have to play cards against Mr Rehn, because he holds his cards so close to his chest and plays his trump card – his last card – at the very last minute! Mercifully, in this instance, he is playing the cards on behalf of Romania and Bulgaria. He is willing them to win and it is absolutely clear that they are going to do so. I am confident that 1 January 2007 will be D-Day – delivery day – for Romania and Bulgaria, when they will receive full membership of the European Union. In fact, I am so confident that on 31 December 2006 I shall be buying my ticket to Bucharest in Romania.

I want to thank and pay tribute to Fokion Fotiadis and to Jonathan Scheele, who succeeded him at the Commission delegation in Bucharest, to Mr Rehn himself and to Mr Verheugen, his predecessor. They have taken up the task of working hard to get both countries into the Union, fighting corruption and human trafficking, addressing all the different issues regarding the free market, the rule of law and transparency: everything that has been mentioned so many times over the last six and a half years that is now coming true. It is a hugely exciting moment.

I am so pleased to have been able to work alongside several Romanian prime ministers, including the current Prime Minister, Mr Tariceanu, several presidents, including the current Head-of-State, President Basescu, as well as a huge variety of Members of Parliament. Here today in the Distinguished Visitors’ Gallery are Alin Teodorescu, as well as the Secretary of State for Adoptions, Theodora Bertzi, Gabriela Coman, responsible for child protection, and, of course, the Minister for Europe, Mrs Boagiu. All are so welcome and now they are to become our permanent brothers and sisters inside the Union.

Inevitably, there are problems. The geographical location of both countries makes them vulnerable, particularly to trafficking, from eastern Europe especially and from Russia. Romania and Bulgaria were highlighted in the UN human trafficking report last week.

It is true that there is more to be done and there always will be more to be done, but within moments they will be here beside us and they will be full members. I thank the Commissioner for all his work.

(Applause)