Speech Prodi: "Macedonië op weg naar de EU" (en)

Romano Prodi

President of the European Commission




On the path to the EU: challenges and opportunities

Government - Assembly
Skopje, 1 October 2004

Mr President, Mr Prime Minister,

Your Holinesses the Heads of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, the Islamic Community, the Catholic Community,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very pleased that before the end of my mandate as president of the European Commission I have the opportunity to visit Macedonia for the third time.

The first time I came here was to visit my friend late President Boris Trajkovski and the government and the parliament in order to encourage the reforms linked with the European integration process and the implementation of the Ohrid Framework agreement.

My second visit was on a sad occasion - when I came earlier this year to say good bye to Boris Trajkovski after the bloody accident which took his life and the life of 7 of his collaborators. On that occasion I paid tribute to the enthusiasm and determination of President Trajkovski to bring his country and the whole Balkan region into the European Union. I also expressed my belief in the support we should give to Macedonia's bold reform programme to become a full member of the European Union.

I came here today to hand over to the government a questionnaire which is part of the dialogue we have started with the government after the submission of the Application for membership to the EU.

We expect to receive replies to an impressive number of questions on political, economic and technical issues, which will allow the Commission (together with other information) to formulate its Opinion if the country is ready to undertake the rights and obligations of membership to the EU.

Replying to the Questionnaire is not an exam; it is part of a process of dialogue between the Commission and your government, and it is based on the implementation of reforms. Successful implementation of reforms means successful answers to the Questionnaire.

On 1 May last year the European Union became an economic, political and cultural entity of 453 million people.

The recent enlargement has been a big challenge that we have taken up together, all the peoples of Europe.

A united Europe -- stretching from Tallinn to Lisbon, from Dublin to Valletta -- is our shared destiny.

Our well-being, our influence in the world and our capacity to maintain and foster our values we owe largely to the European Union.

Because, in other words, only the Union can ensure Europe remains in control of its destiny in a globalised world.

Our social values and development model are among the foremost values the Union is duty-bound to defend. But before everything else comes peace.

The history of European integration may be short but it has taken giant strides since 1950. And you cannot look to the future of our united Europe unless you start by looking at where we came from.

The basic principle, the spark that set the process of integration in motion was the conquest of peace.

Peace among peoples and states who had fought against each other in bloody wars for centuries. And we should never forget that.

For over half a century, the countries that threw themselves behind our project have enjoyed a long period of peace and concord.

Today a conflict within our Union is unthinkable. And by force of example we are helping to bring peace to the rest of the continent, to neighbouring regions and the world beyond.

But the task of enlargement, of uniting Europe, has not ended yet.

The EU has indeed offered membership also to all the Balkan countries.

This will come about gradually with each country advancing at its own pace.

Croatia has already started along the road, Macedonia is just behind and the other countries will follow as they reform their economic and political structures.

This objective is the only stable, lasting solution. It is the only prospect of hope for all these countries.

Once again Europe has a chance to turn the page on a painful chapter of our past and open a new era of friendship and peace.

The Macedonian success on its aspirations towards European integration will be meaningful not only for the country itself, but also for the EU and for the whole region.

You will show that it is possible for all the ethnic communities of your country to leave aside the conflicts of the past and to work together to achieve a common goal.

This is the same goal as the goal pursued by all of us who believe in European Integration - peace, prosperity, cultural diversity, cooperation across borders, across ethnic and cultural boundaries, for the benefit of all.

I am aware that this is not an easy goal to achieve. But this is an investment for the future. For our joint future.

It requires courage and determination, openness to others, to your neighbours, to other partners, to new ideas, ideas which -if implemented- will allow you full participation in the European integration process, access to pre-accession funds, funds which have been used successfully - helping the countries which just joined the EU to upgrade their infrastructure and tackle pressing problems of unemployment.

Joining the EU will mean participation in a community of around half a billion people, with free circulation of goods, persons, services, ideas. It will mean the preservation of your cultural identity or identities and their enrichment through communication with other cultures.

Your success in this process will also mean a lot in the region. After the Croatian example you will give a strong message to the other countries in this region which are struggling with reforms : that it is possible to succeed. Confidence in the Balkan region across Europe will be strengthened, strengthening Europe as a whole at the same time.

But this success depends on you. It is now that you need to show the determination to make sure that your European future will not be put in danger.

You need to continue supporting an implementing the Framework Agreement, strengthen inter-ethnic relations and build confidence across ethnic and other divides.

And then you need to perform against the other EU membership criteria - make sure that electoral processes are free of any incidents (and if there are incidents that they are punished), pursue the reforms in the judiciary and in the police, fight corruption and pursue economic reforms reducing the bureaucratic burden and guaranteeing a level playing field for business so as to attract foreign investments.

Any disruption of this process may create serious problems.

I am sure that you have the capacity to be successful along this path.