Constructing Europe” “

The visit of US President Bush to Brussels, a plenary session of the European Parliament reaffirming the need to respect the Maastricht criteria, the address of Ukrainian President Yuschenko in Strasbourg, yet another go-ahead of the Commission to the entry of Bulgaria and Romania into the EU, not to mention scores of economic, legal and administrative provisions that involve the EU institutions and impact in real terms on 450 million European citizens. USA AND UNION, THE “THAW” BEGINS IN BRUSSELS. The European tour of the head of the White House had various stages, but undoubtedly the most important was that in Brussels on 22 February, when the American President met the top brass of NATO and the EU. GEORGE W. BUSH, by choosing Brussels as the goal of his first foreign trip after his second inauguration, has demonstrated his respect for the process of European integration. He himself spoke of “a journey to listen”, with the prospect of a new multilateralism, after the tensions between the two sides of the Atlantic over the war in Iraq. “We have liberated the country” of the dictatorship of Saddam, explained the US President, “now is the time to unite for the good of peace”. The position adopted by Bush relieved the tensions preceding the visit and met with a warm welcome from the Union, which expressed its willingness to assume responsibility for the training and equipment of the Iraqi police forces. Agreement was also reached on a possible conference on post-war reconstruction. In this regard, Luxembourg premier JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER, current President of the EU, declared: “If the Iraqis request it, we are ready to hold jointly a conference on Iraq to co-ordinate international support” aimed at reconstruction. On the other hand, on many burning issues the consensus was not so close: relations with China, Iran and Russia, the fight against international terrorism, the case of Guantanamo, free world trade and the euro-dollar exchange. SOFIA AND BUCHAREST STEP CLOSER TO THE 25. “Today’s decision is another milestone in our relations and a clear signal that the Commission is ready to accept Bulgaria and Romania into the European family”. The Finnish Commissioner for enlargement, OLLI REHN, placed particular emphasis on the new and favourable opinion in support of the accession of Sofia and Bucharest to the European Union expressed by the Commission during the week. “Nonetheless – he added – the national authorities cannot relax: a great deal of work needs to be done in 2005 and in 2006 in the field of reforms to fully respond to all the membership conditions within the timetable laid down”. These criteria regard democracy, protection of the rights of citizens and minorities, the creation of a market economy and the modernization of the state administration. The EU accession process of the two States has already lasted for ten years. The executive headed by JOSÉ MANUEL DURAO BARROSO is now “confident that these countries will make the necessary reforms for membership, in conformity with the commitments made during the negotiations”. In the event of serious shortcomings in preparation for membership, “a postponement clause could be activated”. That would delay EU accession by at least one year. YUSCHENKO AT STRASBOURG: “UKRAINE IN THE EU”. The European Parliament met in its Strasbourg chamber from Monday 21 to Thursday 24 February. There was a packed order of the day, comprising discussions and votes on the most varied issues: reform of the Stability Pact; Euro-Mediterranean partnership; protection of health and environment; punitive laws against firms that pollute the sea; the replacement of national and regional driving licences (there are now 130 different kinds) with a single European document. The Assembly also welcomed the new Ukrainian President VIKTOR YUSCHENKO, who declared he was “proud, honoured and happy to speak before the European Parliament that represents the symbol of democracy in Europe”. Democracy, he added, is “a value that unites us all and is the basis on which our prosperity is based”. According to Yuschenko “the ‘orange revolution’, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, represents a symbol in Europe and totalitarianism is no longer possible in the continent. The revolution has created a new Ukrainian civil society that has been emancipated and given life to a new nation”. Yuschenko declared that “the frontiers of Europe stretch from Lisbon to Kiev, but they are not merely geographical; they are based on common spiritual values and no one can stop the Ukrainian people on the road to the European Union. Of course a great deal still needs to be done for membership, but EU integration is the only possible way ahead for Ukraine”. He expressed the hope that membership negotiations could begin as early as 2007.