Seanad debates

Thursday, 10 October 2002

Address by President of the European Parliament.

 

That brings me to Senator Bradford's question on what this treaty is about. It is a simple treaty in one way. It is about institutional arrangements, not new competencies, but it is essential. When we got together in Amsterdam in 1996 no new state was negotiating for membership, but it was thought that four or five or, maybe at a stretch, six of them might go through that staggering act of transformation of their societies, economies, politics and law to do that. They are so up for it in central and eastern Europe that it was not four or five. Some 12 of them are doing it and ten of them have done it so well that they are ready. It was an act of rational preparation to recognise that the old assumption was wrong and that the new order would have more than five joining. They all agreed that if the Union enlarged to a point where there were more than 20 at the table, the Amsterdam formula, they would have to come back and look at the size of the Commission and the Parliament and vetoes. That is what they have done in Nice. That is not just my word.

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