The new Europe: Bigger and Better - Federalists welcome historic decision to finalise enlargement negotiations

JEF Europe welcomes the decisions of the European Council in Copenhagen, to finalise the enlargement-process.

“After hearing for years that this enlargement is essential to the reunification of Europe, we now finally see that it is a reality,” said Saso Romanovic, Bureau member of JEF Europe." The EU will not only increase its territory, but it will fulfil a long historic commitment. Enlargement does not only ensure peace and stability for the European Union, but it will contribute in the long term to a more prosperous Europe. The new Europe will not only be bigger, it will be better."

The Young European Federalists especially stress that there is more to enlargement than financial costs and benefits. The EU and the candidate states failed for several months to solve the problems concerning the financing of enlargement. This raised fear among the citizens in Europe that enlargement is not profitable for them. For us young people peace, stability and international justice is worth much more than agricultural subsidies. Soon the separation of the European Continent into communist and democratic, rich and poor will be a distant memory which will never become a reality again.

“In the end there has been an agreement. But the continual failure of the most powerful body in the European Union to achieve effective decision-making in these crucial issues shows the need for institutional reforms,” said Alison Weston, president of JEF Europe.

The Young European Federalists are disappointed that in Copenhagen the concerned politicians have failed to find a solution for the problems of Cyprus. JEF calls for enhanced efforts from all parties to arrive to a united Cyprus. These should be based on the UN-plan to establish a Cyprus federation, consisting of the Greek and the Turkish Community.