By Daisy Ayliffe - 9th November 2005
The EU enlargement agenda is "over-stretched" but Brussels must fulfil its promises to countries waiting at Europe's door, the European Commission said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the unveiling of a strategy paper on expansion, Enlargement Commissioner Ollie Rehn said questions about the EU’s ability to absorb new members are now more pertinent than ever.
“We are consolidating our enlargement agenda, it is over stretched and already sufficiently heavy,” he declared.
“A carefully managed enlargement process is one of the EU’s most powerful and most successful policy tools. But the pace of enlargement also has to take into consideration the EU’s absorption capacity.”
Rehn said the EU must not let down its neighbours in the western Balkans.
“We have to see Balkans as a tool for enhancing stability in that region which has suffered so much. It is a preventative act of exporting stability.”
The commissioner came under attack at a press conference for focusing absorption fears on the prospect of Turkish entry - but he insisted his concerns were justified.
“There is no hiding that Turkey with its size – 76 million inhabitants – is a major challenge in terms of absorption capacity,” he countered.
“If you compare Turkey to a realistic assumption that Iceland might apply for accession - it is reasonable to say it would be much easier to absorb Iceland into the EU.”
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.