COPENHAGEN, 14 December 2002 — Europe sealed its historic eastward enlargement to expand to 25 nations with a total of 450 million people last night. The deal followed frantic horse trading over the subsidies to be offered to the mainly ex-Communist countries.
After negotiations went down to the wire at the EU summit in Copenhagen, three countries — including the biggest prospective member, Poland — conceded, claiming they had squeezed more money out of EU coffers. “It was a good deal,” said the Polish Prime Minister, Leszek Miller. “In my opinion we can sell this in a referendum.”
Thirteen years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, yesterday’s summit was designed to celebrate the reunification of Europe with the admission of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus and Malta.
The EU leaders said in their summit conclusions: “This achievement testifies to the common determination of the peoples of Europe to come together in a union that has become the driving force for peace, democracy, stability and prosperity on our continent.”
The marathon expansion talks, which began March 31, 1998 under the British presidency of the EU, appeared to have ended in mid-afternoon, when EU leaders thought a revised offer would break the deadlock. Under the deal, Poland won the right to spend immediately an extra $1 billion from funds to help its poorer regions which had been due to be paid out later. The other applicant countries were expected to gain an additional $300 million. Earlier, although German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder declared that a solution appeared to have been found, the deal was rejected by Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
Also, there were recriminations over the summit offer to review Turkey’s application to join the EU in December 2004, a year later than Ankara hoped. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who pressed France and Germany to speed up plans to admit Turkey, insisted the decision was “a huge step forward”.
Turkey reacted furiously to the EU decision. Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul accused the EU of “unacceptable discrimination”. “It’s impossible to accept this decision,” an aide quoted Gul as telling Blair.
He specifically accused French President Jacques Chirac of having negatively influenced the decision on Turkey at a dinner of EU leaders which opened the summit Thursday evening. Hopes of a breakthrough on the reunification of Cyprus before it joined the EU in 2004 were dashed. UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan said a resolution had been very close. “I wouldn’t say it has collapsed. We haven’t got an agreement.” A glimmer of hope emerged when aides to the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, said they were prepared to sign a “letter of intent” with Greek Cypriots to discuss the unity plan. (The Independent)
