Enlargement will lead to a redefinition of Europe's social model,
creating an active welfare state. The active welfare state provides
the basis for cultural, creative and economic competitiveness
world wide while giving globalisation a human face.
Enlargements have always contributed to further political and
economic integration. The present enlargement will be no exception
to this rule.
Europe's enlargement is a model for world-wide integration.
Europe has to avoid becoming a "fortress" for its
new neighbours.
The new constitution of the EU is needed to address the urgent
demand for a joint EU foreign and defence policy. Non-ratification
of the constitution will be disastrous for political reasons including
the growth of the communal spirit, as well as for Europe's economic
competitiveness and growth.
Conclusions:
On enlargement
Past enlargements have always led to further European integration
and subsequently economic growth; it can be expected that the
present enlargement will also have such welfare and growth effects.
On economic integration
New member states have started to adapt to the European integration
process, which involves much more than just opening up their markets
to EU trade. As an immediate and direct result it was highlighted
that the EU membership adaptation process enhanced the performance
of their own governmental and administrative systems. Decisions
at the national level now are taken more efficiently and faster.
The new member states consider their access to the EU as part
of a normal integration process similar to the processes, which
took place in previous enlargement processes (e.g. Southern Europe,
Ireland and Finland). The concerns in the EU-15 about social or
tax dumping in the new member countries, or foreign direct investment
relocation to those countries should hence be considered as part
of the normal EU integration process: adjustment to such processes
enhance overall EU growth and productivity.
On EU complexity
In many fields European legislation has become so technical that
only few experts can understand it. As a consequence, citizens
have turned their back on the EU as has been shown by the recent
elections to the EP.
On the democratic deficit
The Lisbon Strategy has to be made much more attractive: it should
be (re-) formulated in a similar way as was the Internal Market
Strategy ‘Europe without frontiers’, so that the goals
of the Lisbon Agenda can be more easily embraced by people.
The European Parliament does not suffer so much from a democratic
deficit, rather it should be clarified to the public that, in
many areas, the EP is actually a key legislator, more independent
than national parliaments from their respective governments.
