In May 1948, still under the impression of the tragedies of the Second World War, met in The Hague 750 men and women from 30 states under the presidency of Winston Churchill and demanded for the protection of the peace and prevention of a new murderous war the formation of a federal European Union. That was the beginning of the European integration process, which led gradually from the Schuman plan and the establishment of the European community for coal and steel to the Treaty of Amsterdam and today's European Union with at present 15 member states. Despite the declaration of the European Council from December 11, 2000, on the future of the European Union, and the extensive reforms, which were suggested by the European Convention, we are still far from a genuine federal structure of the European Union. Nevertheless it is to be noted that, despite some setbacks, the European integration process achieved its substantial goal of creating an area of peace. The expansion of this area has to remain our major goal.
In order to be successful, a peace community has to be more than common institutions. Therefore the community shall remain limited to Europe by all means for foreseeable time. However, Europe must thereby not only be seen in a geographical sense, but as a community of values, a community, which is determined by a commitment to the basic values individualism, human rights, tolerance and rationalism. Only states, which commit themselves to these basic values and also live them, can be and shall become members of the European Union. Therefore; apart from the commitment to peace, the draft European Constitution includes a clear commitment to human rights and democracy. Visible expressions of this commitment are the European Human Rights Convention and the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. The later one specifies the rights of EU citizens opposite legal instruments of the Union, even though it is not directly obligatory for the moment.
The European Union is today a highly developed integrated community with full freedom in stock floating, for movement of humans and capital, with common rules of competition a common environmental protection standard, a harmonised monetary union, increasing harmonization of laws and the internal administration (in particular for crime prevention, as well as the refugee and migration matters), and the increasing commitment to a common foreign and security policy. Enlargement of such a community requires on sides of the Union institutional changes, which are necessary to remain functional even with more than twenty member states. This condition has been accomplished with the Treaty of Nice, paving the way for enlargement. On sides of the candidate countries an accession demands that the legal, organizational and economic conditions are given, in order to be able to fulfil all obligations resulting from the membership.
The accession negotiations were introduced first with those 6 by the 12 candidate countries, who already made the largest progress with the creation of these conditions. According to the resolution of the European Council of Helsinki in December 1999 accession negotiations were taken up also with the remaining candidate countries. At the same time Turkey was recognized as a candidate country, whereby accession negotiations are to be taken up only at that time, when the political, social and economical standards have been met. This resolution certainly gives also cause for the question, where the limits of the European Union are to be set as final goal.
An enlargement of the European Union brings advantages for old and new members. It secures in particular the peace among its members, promotes the economic expansion by the Common Market and brings more freedom for the citizens. But it also brings burdens, in particular for the new members. For the current members problems may result for instance on the job market and for their internal security as well as for the small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular in the border regions. These potential problems are not to be overrated and become however exceeded by the advantages. For the new members the entry to the European Union means among other things deep changes in the economic structure, the necessity for large measures within environmental protection and an improvement of the social standards, the establishment of an effective security system to fight criminality and effective border control at the new external boundaries. At the same time the new member states are confronted with the problems resulting from the different standard of living and the different purchasing power, which can lead to discontent within their population and internal tensions. In order to balance these disadvantages and dangers in particular also for the new members, appropriate temporary agreements will be unavoidable.
All of these problems have to be recognized, but can be mastered in the spirit of solidarity. The advantages clearly outweigh for old and new members and we may await with hope and confidence the entry of ten candidates on 1st of May 2004.