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Verbatim report of proceedings
Tuesday, 3 October 2000 - Strasbourg OJ edition

Progress towards accession by the 12 candidate countries (continued)
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  Souladakis (PSE).(EL) Mr President, Commissioner, what with the enlargement reports which are the subject of today’s debate, together with the Brok report and the debate on institutional reform, today can be described, without fear of exaggeration, as a day for celebrating Europe in the 21st century.

The reports all contain many positive points and we can now safely say, enthusiastically and without fear of exaggeration, that it is time to move on to the next stage. The reports are steeped in optimism and the grumblers need to make way. We need to look at the wood, not the tree. History and politics are marching hand in hand. Now is the time to move up a gear. Now is the time for Europe to go forward and meet its destiny and put ideological flesh on the bones of enlargement.

Allow me now to move from the general to the specific question of the last two islands in the Mediterranean which are island states, Cyprus and Malta, which have now set their cap at membership of the European Union. If any area of Europe is ready, they are, especially Cyprus. From this point of view, it is here that the logic of enlargement will be judged not only on the basis of economic or other criteria, but also on the basis of respect for more general principles which should govern our perception of the future of Europe, a Europe of peace, a Europe of the people, a Europe of states, a Europe of equality and a Europe which respects human rights.

In this sense, I think that, if anything, it will be Cyprus on which Europe’s ability to look itself in the face politically will be judged. Cyprus and Malta will prove to Europe that it accepts enlargement on general terms, not for reasons of geographical symmetry, but in order to achieve the political integration of united peoples, united cultures and united prospects.

 
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