mødet onsdag i den 13. marts 2002 sitzung am mittwoch i, 13. märz ...

13-03-2002 11
gibt es eine Verknüpfung zwischen der Aufgabe, die der Konvent zu leisten hat, und der Erweiterung. Der Konvent muss
die Europäische Union tatsächlich erweiterungsfähig machen.
Sie haben darauf hingewiesen, dass das Europäische Parlament hierzu Unterstützung geben soll. Ja, das Europäische
Parlament ist in zweierlei Hinsicht ein wichtiger Partner. Wir sind ein wichtiger Partner, weil wir hier darauf achten
werden, dass die notwendigen demokratischen Reformen im Inneren der Europäischen Union auch tatsächlich vor dem
Beitritt erfolgen, also bis zur Europawahl. Wir werden ebenfalls darauf achten, dass wir als Teil der Haushaltsbehörde die
finanziellen Erfordernisse in einem vertretbaren Maße mit bewältigen.
Wie Herr Kommissar Verheugen richtig darauf hingewiesen hat, sind die Obergrenzen klar, aber innerhalb dieser
Obergrenzen gibt es nach wie vor schwerwiegende Probleme zu lösen. Übrigens nicht nur solche, die aus der Erweiterung
und der mit ihr verbundenen Finanzierung erwachsen, sondern auch aus den Beschlüssen, die der Europäischen Union im
Rahmen der Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik zusätzliche finanzielle Aufgaben übertragen, die ebenfalls aus dem Haushalt
finanziert werden müssen und Umschichtungen zur Folge haben.
Das heißt, wir haben in den nächsten zwei Jahren als Europäisches Parlament ganz klar zum Ausdruck zu bringen, dass
wir Partner des Rates und der Kommission in der Erweiterungspolitik sind. Wir sind ein Partner, der unterstützt, aber wir
sind auch ein Partner, der bei der Demokratie, bei der Reform und bei der Finanzierung des Prozesses die Kommission und
den Rat kritisch begleiten wird.
(Beifall)
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Watson (ELDR). - Mr President, the Commissioner has very helpfully outlined the major challenges that enlargement will
bring - challenges such as the problems of Kaliningrad, of the Beneš Decrees, of Cyprus; and he has talked a lot about the
cost of enlargement. I am, however, very pleased that the President-in-Office drew attention to the cost of nonenlargement,
which is by far the greater. It may well be true, as the President-in-Office said, that for us these countries will
have waited a "mere" 15 years to join the Union. To them, however, those 15 years will seem more than half as long again
as the decade that Spain waited to come into our Union. I believe it is incumbent upon us to do all we can to speed up the
process of enlargement. The first step in that process is in the hands of the presidency this week as the Council meets in
Barcelona.
President, you have emphasised that we have a responsibility for reuniting our divided continent. We must welcome those
who wish to join us as soon as they are ready. But it is not primarily a budgetary question: there are tremendous economic
benefits to be gained, and that is where Barcelona comes in; for we need to have the courage to undertake ourselves the
difficult economic reforms which we rightly expect of the applicant states. This means, in Barcelona, agreeing important
economic reforms, finding the way towards reform of the common agricultural policy, and moving towards reforms of our
institutions.
The Heads of State and Government must not fudge the opportunity of real economic reform in Barcelona. We must open
up the markets for gas and electricity, both wholesale and domestic, by 2005 at the latest. We must recommit ourselves to
the package of legislative measures in the financial services action plan, unblocking discussions in the Council. We must
also see progress on public procurement and a European patent.
If we are to fulfil our objective of staying within the financial perspectives, enlargement must also mean reform of the
common agricultural policy. The over-production and waste which characterise the CAP and the worrying consequences
for public health of intensive farming methods must be dealt with as we move towards a modern rural development policy,
breaking the link with production and creating an environmentally sustainable policy providing aid to our farmers.
The prospect of enlargement also requires us to make a success of the Convention. Our institutions and our decisionmaking
procedures are like a Trabant, when what we need is a Mercedes. We need to design a constitutional settlement for
the Union of the 21st century which goes beyond Nice, which is based on common rights and values, which addresses the
legitimate concerns of our citizens, combining accountability, democracy and efficiency. Here, above all, what is called for
is a responsible approach from our Member States. It is not helpful for financial discipline if the Italian Finance Minister
questions the finances of enlargement. It is damaging, when a Community of 25 or 27 will need a strong Executive in the
Commission, if the Head of Government of one of our large Member States accuses the Commission of a bias against his
country, of wanting to smash the culture of one of his industrial producers, and of singling out his country.
If we are to insist on a responsible approach from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, then we need a more
responsible approach ourselves. I hope that as we move towards the Danish presidency later this year and the historic
decisions on enlargement, we will see a responsible, united and purposeful Western Europe welcoming these new
democracies into the democratic fold.