EU Takes Measures to Accelerate Europe's Political Integration

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, June 22, 2003

EU Takes Measures to Accelerate Europe's Political Integration

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European Union (EU) leaders at their summit in Greece have been determined to accelerate the European integration through constitution building,closer cooperation on immigration and enhanced common security strategy.

The three aims set for the summit, which was held here from Thursday to Saturday, were achieved through a strong resolve of all leaders from current 15 EU member states and 10 countries set to join the bloc next May, said Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, whose country is holding the current EU presidency.

Simitis told reporters during the meeting that the work of the EU's Convention was completed, as the European draft constitution was presented at the summit, despite the fact that only days ago several EU leaders expressed their reservations over the possibility of success concerning the constitutional issue, which was designed to reform the institutional system for an enlarged EU of more than 30 members in coming decades.

The success in accomplishing this task would pave the way for the draft constitution to be negotiated in the next stage work in Italy, which will take over the EU presidency Greece on July 1.

The second aim achieved at the meeting was the formulation of acommon policy on immigration and asylum for refugees, for which EU leaders decided to approve more funds to support cooperation in this area.

The leaders agreed on the best possible coordination between member states to combat illegal immigration and the ways for member states to cooperate with third countries to implement the agreements.

The third aim was to forge a EU common position on issues of defense and security on the basis of a proposal drafted by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

Under Solana's report, which gives a picture of current global environment, EU leaders approved a guideline for the European security strategy.

"Our union is committed to facing up to our responsibilities, guaranteeing a secure Europe and a better world. To this end, we will contribute relentlessly to strengthening and reshaping the institutions of global governance, regional cooperation and expanding the reach of international law," they said in a final statement.

Discussions on common security policy issue will continue during the Italian presidency to work out a more extensive and detailed text, said Simitis.

The EU was divided over the Iraq war and the bloc's foreign and defense policies could hardly utter "a single voice". Observers believe that in order to avoid harming EU's position on security issue, EU leaders tried at the summit to set a harmonized stand before a EU-US summit in Washington on June 25 to reassert the fundamental importance of the relationship between the two sides.

Speaking at a press conference of the summit, Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou said Europe went through a very difficult moment, but now it is emerging stronger.

At the three-day summit, the EU leaders also made efforts to forge closer economic and political relations with five western Balkan countries including Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia andSerbia and Montenegro, which are all keen to join the bloc but face challenges ahead to carry out economic and political reforms to meet criteria for EU membership.

"The speed of movement ahead lies in the hands of the countriesof the region," the EU and the five nations said in a declaration after Saturday's meeting.

The EU leaders also stressed that all five western Balkan countries should join the European family eventually.

"The future of the Balkans is within the European Union. The ongoing enlargement...inspires and encourages the countries of theWestern Balkans to follow the same successful path," the summit document said.

EU External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten said the Balkanregion is "one of the missing pieces in our jigsaw Europe." While Simitis said the EU wants the region to be a conflict-free and prosperous area through the bloc's development aid.

The EU is planning to smooth the path by offering an extra 200 million euros (237 million US dollars) of aid into the five countries. This comes on top of 4.6 billion euros (5.45 billion US dollars) already committed by the EU for the 2000-06 period.

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