Wednesday, 15 May - This morning Parliament gave its backing to the enlargement of the EC, which is seen as complementary to moves towards political union, provided certain conditions are met. Parliament wants to see a substantial strengthening of the democracy and efficiency of EC institutions before the Community welcomes new members. It also wants a report on the institutional implications of any further enlargement. The notion of affiliate membership, recently floated by Commissioner Frans Andriessen, was, however, rejected.

Enlargement

(A3-77 - Planas Puchades)

Tuesday, 14 May - Introducing his resolution on the future enlargement of the Community Luis Planas Puchades (S, Soc) said his aim was to send a positive political signal to countries waiting in the wings such as Austria, Malta and Cyprus. But at the same time there was, he said, a need to strengthen the Community first and move towards a genuine European Union. He underlined the need for Parliament to be involved in enlargement negotiations at an early stage and not just faced with a fait accompli when it came to approving the final text. He expressed disappointment at Commissioner Frans Andriessen's statement apparently ruling out further enlargement to include certain East European states.

Speaking for the external economic relations committee, Pierre Ceyrac (F, ER) too welcomed applications from countries such as Austria and Sweden and, as he put it, Turkey's efforts to modernise its economy. But he ruled out full membership for Turkey in the short term. 'The differences are too great', he said.

Gary Titley (Greater Manchester West, Soc) took the view that the Community was never meant to be an exclusive club and welcomed applications from countries which met the basic requirements for membership such as Austria which, he said, was already adapting national laws to EC standards and he hoped would be a member by 1995.

The same was true with regard to the EFTA countries such as Sweden and Finland bbut there would obviously have to be a breathing space before taking on board East European countries, he said.

European People's Party and Liberal Group spokesmen Georgios Anastassopoul-os (Gr, EPP) and Willy de Clercq (B, LDR) too welcomed an open Community although Mr Anastassopoulos felt it was not possible to make any concessions in areas such as the commitment to democracy and human rights.

Mr de Clercq, on the other hand, admitted there could be problems over decision-making with the need to increase majority voting in Council. Links with Turkey should also be improved, he added.

For the European Democratic Group, Marie Jepsen (Dk) did not consider that any enlargement should be allowed to weaken the integration process while for the Greens Alexander Langer (I) wondered whether future applicant states realised they would now be taking on board the WEU and NATO as well as the EC institutions.

Hugh McMahon (Strathclyde West, Soc) too looked forward to a wider Community based on strengthening democracy in the new member states. Neutrality, he said, was no longer relevant after the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe.

Fernand Herman (B, EPP) warned that the EC should only be enlarged when major steps towards political and monetary union were taken. He also felt that institutional working arrangements such as language translation and interpretat-ion would have to be examined.

Michael Elliott (London West, Soc) urged the House too be positive about enlargement, not negative. He agreed with Hugh McMahon that neutrality was not a barrier to EC membership.

Replying to the debate, Commissioner Sir Leon Brittan said that new entrants to the EC had historically strengthened and not slowed down the process of European integration, as feared by some speakers. He therefore felt that enlargement on the one hand and deepening of the EC through political and monetary developments on the other were not opposed concepts.

As far as Eastern European countries were concerned, he stressed that the best way to help them was not to hold out the panacea of EC membership instantly but to assist them on the way to it. He too, felt there would have to be substantial changes to the way the Community was run if it expanded to eighteen or nineteen states but did hold out much hope of such changes being agreed at the present Inter-Governmental Conference. Vote: Wednesday, midday.