JEF Welcomes a Bigger and Better European Union

The Young European Federalists (JEF) welcome the signing of the EU Accession Treaty by ten new members as a giant step towards true European unification.

"Today sees the end of approaching and marks the beginning of togetherness," said Saso Romanovic, executive bureau member of JEF. "Membership in the EU brings new commitments and responsibility and the recent referendums on the EU accession have clearly shown an overwhelming wish of people from the new members to fully participate in the building of a truly united Europe."

The future EU members have time and again shown they are ready to take on the rights as well as the obligations of Union membership. Now it is time that the current EU member states show the same willingness to share a common European future with the new members by ratifying the EU Accession Treaty as soon as possible, without delay.

JEF is greatly encouraged by the referendums on EU membership that have taken place so far. Said Ingvild Stub, Vice-President of JEF Europe: “We welcome the support shown by the Maltese, Slovenes and Hungarians in their referendums on joining the EU. This demonstrates the strength of the European idea and we hope present member states will be inspired by this support”.

Pleased that the enlargement to ten new countries will now take place, JEF urges European leaders not to forget the countries that are not yet ready for accession. “This is just a first step. With Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Croatia and others yet to come, we are only halfway,” said Saso Romanovic.

Likewise, those European countries that are yet to join the Union should see the current enlargement, not as closing the doors before them, but as an additional stimulus in their efforts to join 25 European states in a common Union as soon as possible.

While very enthusiastic about the EU growing in size and number, the Young European Federalists stress that effective decision-making in the EU is now of crucial importance for the future of Europe and institutional reforms based on a Federal European Constitution are not only needed, but necessary.